The same thing is true of of the Lincoln speech, in a somewhat different way.
Does anyone really need to be warned that they are using the passive voice? Does anyone actually do that by accident?
The same thing is true of of the Lincoln speech, in a somewhat different way.
Does anyone really need to be warned that they are using the passive voice? Does anyone actually do that by accident?
Yes, all the time. I write a lot and still fall into the trap, and it is hard not to do it sometimes especially if you were only introduced to the concept later in life. I try hard not to use the passive voice, but there are times when I think it is acceptable, and there are occasions where the alternative is more confusing. The quoted speech "Now we are engaged in a great civil war..." sounds perfectly fine to me!
Honestly, I have trouble thinking of an alternative sometimes, even when I can identify a passive voice sentence.
I see it quite often in business writing, I think people fall into it because it's a way to avoid taking responsibility. "It has been decided" vs. "I have decided." I would not say that it's always intentional.