Grammatical Voice and Person in Technical Writing: Results of a Survey

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 1980

Grammatical Voice and Person in Technical Writing: Results of a Survey

Richard David Ramsey

Abstract

A survey-experiment at the University of Leeds, England, attempted to resolve two questions: (1) Are some grammatical structures more efficient than others in communicating scientific fact? and (2) Do students pursuing different academic disciplines have correspondingly different value systems with regard to technical writing and technical subject matter? The results of the survey, which sampled 300 students, indicated yes to both questions. Particularly ironic was the finding that the third-person passive voice, so commonly the style of twentieth-century technical English, is disadvantageous from a communication standpoint.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 1980-04-01
DOI: 10.2190/g1p5-6g6g-0d7b-2fpp
Topics: technical communication multilingual writers voice and style

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