QA finding
A passage of the main content is written mostly in the passive voice
QA Info Severity: Low
Part of the audit Readability. Finding id: qa.passiveVoice.
What it costs you
A passive sentence leaves out who does what. In instructions and terms that is the thing the reader needs to know: who has to act, and who is responsible.
What to do
Rewrite the sentences that hide who acts. Name the actor and put it first.
What it checks
- Too much passive voice
How to fix it
Name who does what
- Find the passage on the page with the selector in the evidence.
- For each passive sentence, ask who does it. Write that first: 'We send the invoice' and not 'The invoice is sent'.
- Leave a passive sentence as it is when the actor is unknown or beside the point.
How to check: Recheck the page: the passage is no longer listed.
Thresholds
| Name | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
max_passive_percent | 30 | A passage is returned when more than this percentage of its sentences is passive. No guideline gives a number; this is a starting value. |
min_sentences | 4 | Passages with fewer sentences than this are not returned; one passive sentence out of two says little. |