If you want to be a better writer, you must avoid passive voice. Not that you can’t use it; it should be exercised in some instances. In most cases, though, you should opt for active.
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grammar
When Fixing the Grammar Doesn’t Cut It
Good writing requires good grammar. However, it first demands a sound structure. To address the grammar without reinforcing or rebuilding the structure is not the sign of a good writer or writing. It defines the lazy writer, fiction or nonfiction, personal or business, or one yet unaccustomed to the realities of the writing life.
Write Right: If, Were, Was
Sentences that begin with “if” tend to be speculative. That is, they guess about what might happen in the present or future or suggest that something was impossible in the past. Such sentences often require specific verbs such as “were.” They do, however, sometimes necessitate the use of “was.”
Write Right: Advice and Advise
Advice and advise sometimes are mistaken for each other. It’s no surprise. The two words only vary by one letter. They are, however, distinct from each other in every possible way.
Write Right: Commas and Introductory Phrases
I confess I rarely visit the rules about commas and introductory phrases anymore; the rules are somewhat innate. Because of that, my decision to or not to use a comma sometimes seems based on sound and appearance rather than any rules. Rules, however, do exist vague though they may be.
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Write Right: All Aboard for “Al+”
A number of words begin with “al+”; however, a number of them do not. They are common misspellings to which even I have succumbed upon occasion. I try to keep all the words organized and correct, but, yes, even the person behind Write Right is human. I make mistakes. I use the wrong word, sometimes an altogether wrong and non-existent word.