Re:The Elements of Bureaucratic Style
by closed on Friday April 14, 2017 @06:46AM
(#14113670)
> Contains no passive voice.
Passenger is used as the subject, rather than object in your quoted passage. To see it in active voice, change "one of the passengers was politely asked...", to "SOME_SUBJECT politely asked one of the passengers...".
I've oversimplified, since it could be argued as active by adding the word "who",
"one of the passengers who was politely asked to deplane refused..."
but even if that's the case, then the master dodge phrase "it became necessary" cut SOME_SUBJECT from the second part. Note that the passenger is not doing the contacting in
"...and it became necessary to contact Chicago Aviation Officers to help."
Passenger is used as the subject, rather than object in your quoted passage. To see it in active voice, change "one of the passengers was politely asked...", to "SOME_SUBJECT politely asked one of the passengers...".
I've oversimplified, since it could be argued as active by adding the word "who",
"one of the passengers who was politely asked to deplane refused..."
but even if that's the case, then the master dodge phrase "it became necessary" cut SOME_SUBJECT from the second part. Note that the passenger is not doing the contacting in
"...and it became necessary to contact Chicago Aviation Officers to help."