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END 011END 011 科技英文寫作 科技英文寫作 (( 二二 )-8)-8English Technical Writing (English Technical Writing ( 二二 )-8)-8

Prof. Jeffrey Shiang FuProf. Jeffrey Shiang Fu傅祥 教授傅祥 教授

jeffsfu@gmail.comjeffsfu@gmail.com0987-520-488 / (03)2118-800*57950987-520-488 / (03)2118-800*5795

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Choosing the Appropriate Choosing the Appropriate Verb Voice – Active or PassiveVerb Voice – Active or Passive

You can use either the You can use either the activeactive or the or the passive voicepassive voice when you describe when you describe the procedure used in your project.the procedure used in your project.

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Examples of both voices are given in the following box. Notice that the formation of the passive voice requires the be auxiliary + the past participle of a verb.

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PROCEDURAL STATEMENTSPROCEDURAL STATEMENTSACTIVE VOICEACTIVE VOICE

++ + ++ +

WeWe appliedapplied stress stress to the rubber to the rubber segments in segments in gradually gradually increasing increasing increments.increments.

AgentAgent Main verb Main verb (active)(active)

ObjectObject ComplementComplement

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PROCEDURAL STATEMENTSPROCEDURAL STATEMENTSPASSIVE VOICEPASSIVE VOICE

++ + ++ +

StressStress was was appliedapplied

(by the (by the investigators)investigators)

to the to the rubber rubber segments…segments…

SubjectSubject Main verb Main verb (passive)(passive)

AgentAgent ComplementComplement

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Your decision whether to use the active or passive voice in procedural statements should be made with the following considerations:

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1.1. The passive voice is conventionally The passive voice is conventionally used to describe procedure in used to describe procedure in order to order to depersonalizedepersonalize the the information. The passive information. The passive construction allows you to omit the construction allows you to omit the agent (usually “I” or “we”), placing agent (usually “I” or “we”), placing the emphasis on the procedure the emphasis on the procedure and how it was done.and how it was done.

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EXAMPLE A:EXAMPLE A:

For reasons related to personal safety, For reasons related to personal safety, the test facility the test facility was constructedwas constructed (by us) (by us) in a remote area 4 miles from the main in a remote area 4 miles from the main road.road.

EXAMPLE B:EXAMPLE B:

Tests Tests were conductedwere conducted (by me) with four (by me) with four different types of reactors.different types of reactors.

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2.2. In addition to questions of style, your In addition to questions of style, your choice of the active or passive voice choice of the active or passive voice should place old should place old informationinformation near the near the beginning of the sentence and beginning of the sentence and new new informationinformation at the end. The old at the end. The old information is italicized in each information is italicized in each sentence in example C.sentence in example C.

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EXAMPLE C:EXAMPLE C:

The four reactors we tested in the work The four reactors we tested in the work reported here all contained a platinum reported here all contained a platinum catalyst (ACTIVE). Each catalyst (ACTIVE). Each reactor-reactor-catalyst configurationcatalyst configuration will be described will be described separately (PASSIVE). The separately (PASSIVE). The quartz quartz reactorsreactors were manufactured by the were manufactured by the Wm. A. Sales Company of Wheeling, Wm. A. Sales Company of Wheeling, Illinois (PASSIVE).Illinois (PASSIVE).

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Using Short Passive Forms to Using Short Passive Forms to Describe ProcedureDescribe Procedure

In technical and scientific English, there In technical and scientific English, there is a tendency to is a tendency to shorten shorten certain kinds certain kinds of passive constructions Three such of passive constructions Three such kinds of sentences are commonly used kinds of sentences are commonly used in procedural descriptions.in procedural descriptions.

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The first type is a compound The first type is a compound sentence with two identical subjects sentence with two identical subjects and two or more verbs in the and two or more verbs in the passive. To shorten this kind of passive. To shorten this kind of sentence, omit the sentence, omit the subjectsubject and the and the be auxiliary in the second part of be auxiliary in the second part of the sentence.the sentence.

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SHORTENING COMPOUND SHORTENING COMPOUND SENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICE:SENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICE:Same SubjectsSame Subjects

Subject Subject 11

Past Past participle participle 11bebe

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

++ ++

The data

SHORT SHORT FORM:FORM:

were collected

The data were collected

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CONJUNCTIONCONJUNCTION Subject Subject 11 bebePast Past participle participle 22

++ ++ ++

and

SHORT FORM:SHORT FORM:

they were analyzed.

and analyzed.

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

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The second type of sentence is The second type of sentence is also compound, but in this case also compound, but in this case there are two different subjects, there are two different subjects, each with different verbs in the each with different verbs in the passive voice. To shorten this kind passive voice. To shorten this kind of sentence, omit the be auxiliary of sentence, omit the be auxiliary before the second verb.before the second verb.

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SHORTENING COMPOUND SHORTENING COMPOUND SENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICE:SENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICE:Different SubjectsDifferent Subjects

Subject Subject 11

Past Past participle participle 11bebe

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

++ ++

The data

SHORT SHORT FORM:FORM:

were collected

The data were collected

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CONJUNCTIONCONJUNCTION Subject Subject 22 bebePast Past participle participle 22

++ ++ ++

and

SHORT FORM:SHORT FORM:

correlations were calculated.

and correlations calculated.

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

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The third type of sentence has a The third type of sentence has a whichwhich clause containing a passive clause containing a passive verb form. In this case, you can verb form. In this case, you can shorten the clause by dropping the shorten the clause by dropping the conjunction conjunction whichwhich and the be and the be auxiliary.auxiliary.

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SHORTENING “WHICH” CLAUSE SHORTENING “WHICH” CLAUSE SENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICESENTENCES IN THE PASSIVE VOICE

SubjectSubject bebeCONJUNCTIONCONJUNCTION

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

++ ++

The data

SHORT SHORT FORM:FORM:

which were

The data

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Past Past participle participle 11

ComplementComplementVerbVerb

FULL FORM:FULL FORM:

++ ++

obtained

SHORT SHORT FORM:FORM:

were subjected to an analysis of variance.

obtained were subjected to an analysis of variance.