Our clients are bright, accomplished people—who make these mistakes all the time. Here's what to avoid in your writing.
Overusing passive voice: Keep most of your sentences active. Passive voice can minimize your contributions and slow down your essay's momentum. Active sentences move the statement forward.
There is flexibility, of course. Some passive sentences aren't slow-going or unnatural. Take the passive "My research has been accepted for an oral presentation at the National Impressive Conference." vs. the active "The National Impressive Conference has accepted my research for an oral presentation." Honestly, both sentences are fine. Neither goes on too long nor is confusing. Both read as a natural way of speaking—the passive one might be a little more natural.
There are also times when you'll use passive voice for effect, accuracy, clarity, or flow. Just be mindful of how often you're doing it.
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Overusing passive voice: Keep most of your sentences active. Passive voice can minimize your contributions and slow down your essay's momentum. Active sentences move the statement forward.
There is flexibility, of course. Some passive sentences aren't slow-going or unnatural. Take the passive "My research has been accepted for an oral presentation at the National Impressive Conference." vs. the active "The National Impressive Conference has accepted my research for an oral presentation." Honestly, both sentences are fine. Neither goes on too long nor is confusing. Both read as a natural way of speaking—the passive one might be a little more natural.
There are also times when you'll use passive voice for effect, accuracy, clarity, or flow. Just be mindful of how often you're doing it.
Follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out our blog for more medical school school news, trends, and application tips!
