So which one did you pick? If you picked D, you’re correct.

Why: The first sentence is filled with two obvious passive phrases–”should” and “can be”. Although the second sentence starts out as an actionable sentence, it goes off track quickly by stating the obvious (it’s obvious the Control Panel screen pops up when you click on the Control Panel–you don’t need to say it).

The third sentence starts out by explaining where the cursor should be, which really doesn’t instruct a person to do anything. You want them to click on a link, not hover their cursor over a link. You’re only confusing your audience by writing passively.

To make this entire paragraph actionable, try this:

Step 1: Click on the “Start” button, located in the lower left corner of the desktop. Double click on “Control Panel”. Click on “Uninstall a Program.”

It’s not the most creative paragraph in existence, but it is actionable, which Demand Studios really likes.

So to recap:

• Passive writing means you’re telling, not showing.
• Cons of passive writing: reduced readability, considered amateur writing, makes it harder to understand the article’s main points
• Identifying passive writing: past tense verbs paired with to be, has, had, was, should be, can be, etc.
• To eliminate passive sentences, make it present tense and make it action first, description later.

And that’s really all you need to know about passive writing and Demand Studios. Not only does Demand Studios love active writing, it also improves your web writing skills (an important skill to learn if you want to get better paying clients).

How to Stop ‘Passive Writing’ is a part of the Demand Studios Tutorials series on WJR. To view all of the articles in this series, click here.