Listen up.

[conuly]

"Passive voice" does not mean "any construction I think is deliberately vague".

"Palestinians died" is in the active voice, even if you think it should read "Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers" (which, fittingly, is a passive voice.) It's weaselly, but it's not a passive. (Or, on the flipside, "violence broke out" isn't a passive either, even if you think it should say "the Palestinians attacked the Israelis", but at least the suggested correction is also in the active voice.)

"Democrats allowed this situation [of migrant separation] to escalate" is an outright lie, but that doesn't make it a passive voice construction either.

"Don't use the passive voice!!!" is an absurd little bugaboo, but if you're going to religiously adhere to it you can at least learn how to properly identify passive and active clauses.

Comments

[sabotabby]

The rule I teach my kids is this: If you can add "by zombies" at the end, it's passive voice.

[siderea]

I was going to say! That essay was much too complicated; the "if you can 'by zombies' to the end" test is much more concise and elegant.

[pauamma]

"This morning, on my way to the secret government research lab, I passed by zombies".

[sabotabby]

Okay, good point.

[deird1]

What an excellent description.