Active Vs Passive

[R K Singh]

I have read several times that e-mail should contain active voice.
But still somehow I feel that passive voice sometimes represent company opinion and active may give impression of representing the employee's opinion.

Let us consider following sentences:

#) Because you used the product incorrectly, we will not refund your money.

#) Mannheim Manufacturing cannot refund your money because the product was used incorrectly.

Which one is sounding better to your ears ?

[Aj Mathia]

Option #)
sounds better
[ October 25, 2005: Message edited by: Ajay Mathew ]

[Aj Mathia]

Which sounds better
Fortune cookie that reads : You Are going to die in a Car crash today
OR
Your Wife is going to benefit from your life insurance plan today

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Ajay Mathew:
You Are going to die in a Car crash today

[Sameer Jamal]

#) Because you used the product incorrectly, we will not refund your money.

#) Mannheim Manufacturing cannot refund your money because the product was used incorrectly.

Which one is sounding better to your ears ?

None of the above how could a mail sounds good which is saying you cannot refund your money. If it has been written that your money will be refunded then it will sound great irrespective of the voice.

[R K Singh]

Now on the serious side of the post.

I feel that if I would have written this mail then most probabaly I would have used second sentence that is Mannheim Manufacturing cannot refund your money because the product was used incorrectly.

But article [5 tips to a ringing E-mail] suggests that I should have used the first one. [This is available under heading "Use personal pronouns"]

I might be wrong, as I avoid using "Dear" as salutation in e-mails as it seems to me too personal. But again, reading materials suggest that there is nothing personal about using 'Dear'. :roll:

[R K Singh]

is it that both are accepted to all ??