Comments on: Analysis: Dillard’s and an unsatisfying response on the Heroic Media controversy http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/17/analysis-dillards-and-an-unsatisfying-response-on-the-heroic-media-controversy/ Democracy. Unwashed. Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:36:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Sam Smith http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/17/analysis-dillards-and-an-unsatisfying-response-on-the-heroic-media-controversy/#comment-253 Sam Smith Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:42:44 +0000 http://dirtyhippies.org/?p=707#comment-253 Upon further review, you're right - not passive voice. Pure weasel and misdirection, but not passive. As for that pet peeve, the issue isn't "don't know what it means," but instead was more like "got in a hurry and got a tad careless." The process of earning BA, MA and PhD, all with a hefty dose of English and writing involved, taught me to know better. Upon further review, you’re right – not passive voice. Pure weasel and misdirection, but not passive.

As for that pet peeve, the issue isn’t “don’t know what it means,” but instead was more like “got in a hurry and got a tad careless.” The process of earning BA, MA and PhD, all with a hefty dose of English and writing involved, taught me to know better.

]]> By: English Teacher http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/17/analysis-dillards-and-an-unsatisfying-response-on-the-heroic-media-controversy/#comment-252 English Teacher Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:07:18 +0000 http://dirtyhippies.org/?p=707#comment-252 Not disagreeing with your content in any way, but I want to ask you not to use the term "passive voice". As a language teacher, I have a peeve about people castigating the passive voice when they don't really know what it is and can't identify it when they see it. The sentence you identify as "a passive voice swamp" is not actually in the passive voice, it's in the active voice: “We sincerely regret that a store manager, without prior authorization, allowed a contrary impression to be created.” A passive voice version of the same sentence would be "That a contrary impression was allowed to be created by a store manager without prior authorization is sincerely regretted by us." If you want to call it a disgustingly mealy-mouthed non-apology, or an outright lie, by all means go ahead. It appears to be both. But "We sincerely regret" and "a store manager...allowed" are decidedly active voice. Not disagreeing with your content in any way, but I want to ask you not to use the term “passive voice”. As a language teacher, I have a peeve about people castigating the passive voice when they don’t really know what it is and can’t identify it when they see it. The sentence you identify as “a passive voice swamp” is not actually in the passive voice, it’s in the active voice:
“We sincerely regret that a store manager, without prior authorization, allowed a contrary impression to be created.”
A passive voice version of the same sentence would be “That a contrary impression was allowed to be created by a store manager without prior authorization is sincerely regretted by us.”

If you want to call it a disgustingly mealy-mouthed non-apology, or an outright lie, by all means go ahead. It appears to be both. But “We sincerely regret” and “a store manager…allowed” are decidedly active voice.

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