The dramatists of the Restoration are little esteemed to-day.
Modem readers have little esteem for the dramatists of the Restoration.
The first would be the right form in a paragraph on the dramatists of the Restoration; the second, in a paragraph on the tastes of modern readers. The need of making a particular word the subject of the sentence will often, as in these examples, determine which voice is to be used.
As a rule, avoid making one passive depend directly upon another.
| Gold was not allowed to be exported. | It was forbidden to export gold (The export of gold was prohibited). | |
| He has been proved to have been seen entering the building. | It has been proved that he was seen to enter the building. |
In both the examples above, before correction, the word properly related to the second passive is made the subject of the first.
A common fault is to use as the subject of a passive construction a noun which expresses the entire action, leaving to the verb no function beyond that of completing the sentence.
| A survey of this region was made in 1900. | This region was surveyed in 1900. | |
| Mobilization of the army was rapidly effected. | The army was rapidly mobilized. | |
| Confirmation of these reports cannot be obtained. | These reports cannot be confirmed. |
Compare the sentence. "The export of gold was prohibited," in which the predicate "was prohibited" expresses something not implied in "export."
The habitual use of the active voice makes for forcible writing. This is true not only in narrative principally concerned with action, but in writing of any kind. Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a verb in the active
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