--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the worst writing around suffers…" description: "\"Some of the worst writing around suffers from inert verbs and the unintended use of the passive voice. Yet the passive voice remains an important arrow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/constance-hale-32277_arrows_some-of-the-worst-writing-around-suffers_982664.png" --- # Some of the worst writing around suffers from inert verbs… ![“Some of the worst writing around suffers from inert verbs and the unintended use of the passive voice. Yet the passive voice remains an important arrow in the rhetorical quiver. After all, it exists for a reason.” quote by Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/constance-hale-32277_arrows_some-of-the-worst-writing-around-suffers_982664.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/constance-hale-32277_arrows_some-of-the-worst-writing-around-suffers_982664.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/constance-hale-32277_arrows_some-of-the-worst-writing-around-suffers_982664.png) > “Some of the worst writing around suffers from inert verbs and the unintended use of the passive voice. Yet the passive voice remains an important arrow in the rhetorical quiver. After all, it exists for a reason.” [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote notes that bad writing often uses weak verbs and passive voice, yet passive voice can be useful when applied deliberately. **In simple terms:** Bad writing uses weak verbs; passive voice can be useful. Key Takeaway Use strong verbs, employ passive voice intentionally. Themes writing grammar style Mood analytical instructional Type educational technical When to use this quote - editing - creative writing - academic papers Key Concepts rhetoric voice clarity Questions to Reflect On - When should passive voice be used? - How can verbs be strengthened? A Different Perspective Overreliance on passive can obscure agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrow Rhetorical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrow-rhetorical-1961712/) [Arrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrows/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Passive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passive/) [Passive voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passive-voice/) [Quiver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiver/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Remains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remains/) [Rhetorical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical/) [Rhetorical Quiver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical-quiver-1961711/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Verbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verbs/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Voice Passive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice-passive-1961710/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Live in the active voice, rather than passive. Think more about what you happen than what is happening to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dewitt-hyde/live-in-the-active-voice-rather-than-passive-think-more-about-what/) [William DeWitt Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dewitt-hyde/) > [“Except in stock locutions, such as "You were paid yesterday," "The Germans were defeated," or "The project was abandoned," the passive voice is virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/except-in-stock-locutions-such-as-you-were-paid-yesterday-the-germans/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“Not long ago, I advertised for perverse rules of grammar, along the lines of "Remember to never split an infinitive" and "The passive voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/not-long-ago-i-advertised-for-perverse-rules-of-grammar-along-the/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-traveler-was-active-he-went-strenuously-in-search-of-people-of/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Proofread carefully to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/remember-to-never-split-an-infinitive-the-passive-voice-should-never/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [“We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice — that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/we-have-not-passed-that-subtle-line-between-childhood-and-adulthood/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Each time I see a split infinitive, an inconsistent tense structure or the unnecessary use of the passive voice, I blister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/each-time-i-see-a-split-infinitive-an-inconsistent-tense-structure-or/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. 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It separates brochures and brilliance, memo and memoir, a ship's log and The Old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/voice-is-the-je-ne-sais-quoi-of-spirited-writing-it-separates/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [The flesh of prose gets its shape and strength from the bones of grammar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/the-flesh-of-prose-gets-its-shape-and-strength-from-the-bones-of/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [Ultimately, whether we are writing posts, paragraphs, essays, arguments, memoirs, monographs or even just the Great American Tweet, writing is and should be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/ultimately-whether-we-are-writing-posts-paragraphs-essays-arguments/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [Our word choices give a sentence its luster, and they deserve intense attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/our-word-choices-give-a-sentence-its-luster-and-they-deserve-intense/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [There is no one way to render an idea. Let’s explore how masters of the sentence play with length and style to make their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/there-is-no-one-way-to-render-an-idea-let-s-explore-how-masters-of/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [Language can still be an adventure if we remember that words can make a kind of melody. In novels, news stories, memoirs and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/language-can-still-be-an-adventure-if-we-remember-that-words-can-make/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [Writers dream of sentences that sail through the waters of thought. We try to control their shape and size, and we struggle to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/writers-dream-of-sentences-that-sail-through-the-waters-of-thought-we/) [Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/) > [In writing, the connection between storyteller and audience is just as important. 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McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-r-mcqueen/) > [I have shot mine arrow o'er the house And hurt my brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-have-shot-mine-arrow-o-er-the-house-and-hurt-my-brother/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I had a map on my wall that had a circle around Lubbock and then giant arrows pointing toward New York City and Los…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-corbin/i-had-a-map-on-my-wall-that-had-a-circle-around-lubbock-and-then/) [Barry Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-corbin/) > [An arrow may fly through the air and leave no trace; but an ill thought leaves a trail like a serpent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mackay/an-arrow-may-fly-through-the-air-and-leave-no-trace-but-an-ill/) [Charles Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mackay/) > [If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high... Hooray for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorian-corey/if-you-shoot-an-arrow-and-it-goes-real-high-hooray-for-you/) [Dorian Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorian-corey/) > [Our present time is indeed a criticizing and critical time, hovering between the wish, and the inability to believe. Our complaints are like arrows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-temple/our-present-time-is-indeed-a-criticizing-and-critical-time-hovering/) [William Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-temple/) > [You took a poison arrow and you aimed it at my heart. It's heavy and it's bitter, and it's tearing me apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/you-took-a-poison-arrow-and-you-aimed-it-at-my-heart-it-s-heavy-and/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [How long the thick dark clouds can prevent the truth from shining? 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