Comments on: Writing Tip: Don’t be Alberto Gonzales

By: fritos

fritos — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:15:05 +0000

You dealt with what would normally have been a boring ‘tip’ and presented it in a refreshing way. I’m sure by the time you will have read this and realized that you actually had given someone a chuckle, you may begin presently chuckle -ing. By that time someone will have already hot-linked or stolen your photo. Mistakes have been made, but that is in my future and will be in your past by the time you read this – too late. ‘Speedy’ would have wanted it that way.

By: Wall Sreet

Wall Sreet — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:03:34 +0000

I’m corporate america and always trying to get somewhere. Passive language has never taken me astray. I say stuff but nobody can ever bring it back to me. I say well, the work can be done; I never say when the work will be done

By: xoites defends Constitution

xoites defends Constitution — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:26:16 +0000

"jr Mar 15th, 2007 10:30 am please stay away from the politico stuff"

Life; how living people interact is politics. A website dedicated to tips on life can not ignore politics. If politics upset you it may be because you are backing the wrong horse and hate it when that horse gets justifiably mocked or criticized. If this is the case you are not paying close enough attention to the details of what you support and why. Think the world is a mess? It could be that people are not paying attention to the politics.

By: Vigilante

Vigilante — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:00:37 +0000

Some guy on BBC today (don't the British see us better than we see our selves?) called this the use of the "Passive exonerative tense" by the Bush crime family. Doesn't that perfectly describe this crap? I'll say it again just so everyone gets this new syntax into their brain so they can recognize it coming before they actually hear the words.

(alert!)PASSIVE EXONERATIVE TENSE!!!

By: Chanpory

Chanpory — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:43:31 +0000

gpc, whoops! mistakes were made, but they’re now fixed ;-)

By: gpc

gpc — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:35:50 +0000

Um, not “wimper” but “whimper.” If you’re going to comment on language use, you oughta be a little more careful.

By: Zr970

Zr970 — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 06:20:25 +0000

I completely understand, it just erked me when I first read it… Didn’t mean any harm, just voicing my opinion (Gotta love the net for that) Love the site!

By: Chanpory

Chanpory — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 19:23:39 +0000

jr and Zr970, this post was meant to be a writing tip using current events as an example. I don't usually incorporate news into my postings very much, so I'd thought I try something new ;-)

Grammar contra, thanks for the additional insight into passive voice. Certainly, some cases warrant passive voice , and sometimes it's preferable. Thank you also for reminding us to be critical of authoritative figures such as Strunk and White. I wouldn't go as far as calling The Elements of Style a "vile little compendium of tripe" as Prof. Pullum. I think it's helped many improve their writing, certainly me.

Of course, one book shouldn't stand as the end-all be-all of writing. And I'd love to see what Pullum recommends in addition or in place of Strunk & White.

By: Groovymarlin

Groovymarlin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:29:27 +0000

Well I still think passive voice sounds bad, in most situations, and I strive to avoid it when possible. It can be appropriate, but most people lean on it to make a straightforward sentence sound more flowery or complex than it really is, providing some "padding" to their text.

Also I don't think this post was very political; I actually found your example timely and amusing. :)

By: grammar contra

grammar contra — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:10:20 +0000

Passive voice is perfectly proper in such a situation. The alternatives are to accept personal responsibilty, which is a mistake if the AG doesn't believe he deserves all the blame, or to point the finger at someone else, which is unprofessional and cowardly.

Prof. Geoffrey K. Pullum has an interesting post on the bias against passive voice. It concludes with his assessment of Strunk and White: "What a shameless, pontificating, ignorant, hypocritical, incompetent, authoritarian pair of old weasels they were."