Use you and we, not passive voice
Is it important for your writing to come across as objective?
To sound objective in writing, we're taught remove ourselves. At high school, our science teachers made us write
It is considered that not I consider
It was found that not We found
But now that we're at work and we want people to quickly understand us, can you see the problem?
That objective style
takes 4 words to say what 2 words can say
hides who is responsible for doing things
makes the tone heavy and bureaucratic
It's called the passive voice, and it's the equivalent of wrapping your reader's legs in a bedsheet and making them walk down stairs. Yes – awkward, annoying, inefficient, unnatural.
You and we are essential words!
They're one of the easiest ways to create active voice. ('I consider' and 'We found' are examples of active voice.)
You can still sound objective using you and we
Your style guide will tell you to use them
Every piece of writing guidance I've ever seen encourages people to use active voice
So next time your writer switch tells you to write 'It was suggested that', remember that claustrophobic bedsheet.
Give your reader a healthy dose of we and you!
