yo. i will sweat you.

[Redd]

I'm curious - why can't you use the verb 'to be'?

still sweating?

[milesdyson]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm curious - why can't you use the verb 'to be'?

[/ QUOTE ]
it's a common thing with teachers/professors. i think most of the time it's a way to discourage using the passive voice; however, i don't think many of them really know why they forbid its use.

[Redd]

[ QUOTE ]
by declaring the majority wrong, one declares his superiority over the majority.

it rhymes even.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is first half of that sentence grammatically correct? Can one declare a hobo smelly? Or do they need to declare a hobo to be smelly?

And this barely rhymes duder.

[Redd]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm curious - why can't you use the verb 'to be'?

[/ QUOTE ]
it's a common thing with teachers/professors. i think most of the time it's a way to discourage using the passive voice; however, i don't think many of them really know why they forbid its use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Werid...I only took a few writing courses in undergrad, but I've never seen that before. Isn't this pretty much well impossible though? I mean, the passive voice just disguises 'to be' in a past tense: It was believed that Nietzche's mental breakdown was caused by an infection of syphilis.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
by declaring the majority wrong, one declares his superiority over the majority.

it rhymes even.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is first half of that sentence grammatically correct? Can one declare a hobo smelly? Or do they need to declare a hobo to be smelly?

And this barely rhymes duder.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it's correct.

[Eeegah]

[ QUOTE ]
it's a common thing with teachers/professors. i think most of the time it's a way to discourage using the passive voice; however, i don't think many of them really know why they forbid its use.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's no way you can be a good writer if you don't keep your essay aggression factor up.

[shadow29]

Actually, my professor does not forbid its use. I try and remove it from my writing.

I think that using "to be" leaves vapid, uninspired, and boring writing. Eliminating it from use results in vibrant essays.

And with less developed writers, it does discourage use of the passive voice.

[MrWookie47]

I had some English teachers in high school who all forbade passive voice. They were a little excessive, but I agree that trying to use active voice whenever possible leads to better writing. I don't overly beat myself up over a few variations on "is" every now and then, though.

hey tilt - are you still offerin sweat-sessions (sounds kinda weird?) I'm runnin' bad it'd be nice if I had someone sweat me for a few hands.