Question about grammar...

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

The concept that there should be a percentage of active vs. passive sentences, or that one or another should be avoided ... is moronic on its face to me.

As far as percentages go, I didn't necessarily mean it in the literal sense, as if I should be striving for 6% and anything written that exceeds it is automatically garbage. Rather, I'm just trying to get a feel for for what a reasonable balance between the two should be.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to music, an area in which I do have a firm grasp of "the rules", I spend a lot of time breaking them and look upon most of them as silly. I trust my ear to tell me what sounds acceptable and what doesn't at this point. However, when something sounds wrong to me, I generally know why.

And that is the purpose of my post (upon more reflection), not to truly define what is acceptable or not, I suppose, but rather learn a bit more about the "why and why not" so that I can improve. I do understand that it all has to be taken with a grain of salt and that, ultimately, it is about how the words sound and how clearly they convey the message, that is important.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

As far as percentages go, I didn't necessarily mean it in the literal sense, as if I should be striving for 6% and anything written that exceeds it is automatically garbage. Rather, I'm just trying to get a feel for for what a reasonable balance between the two should be.

There is none, IMO. As long as you are transmitting your ideas clearly and succinctly, I don’t think it matters. If something is easier for the reader to comprehend written in 100% passive voice, then do so. Writing by formula is rarely successful.


ETA: That paragraph has no passive sentances, BTW