The Passive Voice

Why is it Important to Use the Passive Voice in Your Business Correspondence?

The use of the passive voice in business emails is important because it helps to maintain a professional and objective tone. It shifts the focus away from the person performing the action towards the action itself, which can be useful in situations where assigning blame or highlighting an individual’s responsibility may be inappropriate or potentially cause conflict.

Additionally, the passive voice can help to simplify complex sentences and convey information in a clear and concise manner. This can be especially important in business communication, where the recipient may be busy or have a limited attention span.

By using the passive voice, the writer can also effectively communicate important information without creating a confrontational or personal tone, ensuring that the message is received and understood in the intended manner.

Here are a few examples of the use of passive voice in business emails:

1. “The proposal has been reviewed and approved by the board.
(Active voice: “The board has reviewed and approved the proposal.”)

2. “The deadline for the project has been extended to next Friday.”
(Active voice: “Next Friday has been set as the new deadline for the project.”)

3. “A decision has been made to move forward with the new marketing campaign.”
(Active voice: “The new marketing campaign has been decided upon and will move forward.”)

4. “The budget for the event has been allocated and expenses will be monitored closely.”
(Active voice: “Close monitoring of expenses has been planned, now that the budget for the event has been allocated.”)

5. “A detailed email has already been written about the meeting.”
(Active voice: “Sarah has already written a detailed email about the meeting.”)

These examples show how the passive voice can effectively communicate information in a neutral and professional manner, helping to maintain a positive and productive tone in business communications.

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