Re: preferred voices?

> Yesterday we were reviewing the passive voice in my French class, and
> one of the points the teacher made quite emphatically is that the active
> voice is preferred.  I know that this is also the case with English,
> although I could never understand it.  The only explanation I've ever
> gotten is that it's not as powerful as active but I don't really buy
> that.  Are any of your conlangs prejudiced against the passive voice?
> Or any other voice for that matter?  (Mine aren't)
>
> Nicole
>
English active constructions, for me, are far sharper than the
equivalent passive constructions. Active constructions showcase the
subject and the action, while passive constructions obscure the
subject and action. For me, personally, I instinctively trust an
active statement more than I trust a passive statement - something
salespeople are still able to use to their advantage.

In Gevey, there is no passive construction, as there is no need to
conjugate the verb differently to show if the word before the verb is
a subject or object. Instead, I use a set of "voices" to convey the
showcase/obscurity angle:

*Active voice* uses a simple construction of verb with no auxillary,
and is used to "showcase" an action - most clauses are active in Gevey

*Incidental voice* uses a compound construction of auxillary (sen, to
be) and verb participle, and is used to convey actions incidental to
the main action in a sentence (or to obscure the action - compound
verbs just don't have the same impact on the listener as simple verbs
do)

*Descriptive voice* uses a compound construction of auxillary (ben, to
have) and verb participle, and is used in opening and closing
statements to describe the scene where the action will/has take/n
place.

Rik

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