Paper

The Competitors of the Passive in Scientific Writing (They Are Not What You Think They Are)


Anja Wanner (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
 
Program Summary
The passive has long been associated with academic writing. However, the traditional view of the scientist as a neutral observer has undergone drastic changes. I will examine if the reevaluation of the passive can actually be traced in scientific writings and will discuss active-voice competitors of the passive construction.