Multimedia Minutes: The Active-Passive Writing Challenge

 Active verbs form more efficient and more powerful sentences than passive.  Many MMJs ask us how to tell the difference.

Active Writing:  Change these passive sentences to active sentences.

 

1.      We managed to determine the project’s deadline.

 

We determined the project’s deadline.

 

2.      The president has made a request that employees give their support to community arts.

 

The president asked employees to support community arts.

 

3.      The group offered a donation of food and clothing to the charity.

 

The group donated food and clothing to the charity.

 

4.      Please provide us with a summary of your proposal.

 

Please summarize your proposal.

 

5.      This equipment will serve to make reductions in maintenance cost over time.

 

This equipment will reduce maintenance cost over time.

 

6.      We want to make progress toward the goal of better communication skills.

 

Our goal is better communication skills.

 

7.      Please do a study of the policy’s effects.

 

Please study the policy’s effects.

 

8.      Take the corner of the paper and make a fold on the dotted line.

 

Fold the paper on the dotted line.

 

9.      Give them an estimate of your total cost after you’ve done a calculation of the new figures.

 

Estimate your total cost after you’ve calculated the new figures.

 

10.  You will please note that Ms. Ames made an objection.

 

Please note that Ms. Ames objected.

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 1:11 am and is filed under broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply