Posted by andyb on January 28, 2008 at 21:25:00 from 86.162.158.114 user beardbiter.
In Reply to: Re: Grammar posted by John Lambert on January 28, 2008 at 18:18:38:
Using the passive voice, in a phrase such as 'the flowers should be watered'first, distance the speaker from the desired action, thus avoiding a direct order and allow the speaker to either invoke or blame some impersonal authority? If, as in the example of the Queen, the speaker is of a higher status than the auditor she politely avoids drawing attention to this disparity, if she is of a lower status then she circumvents the embarrassment of appearing to tell her 'better' what to do. Now, if I could write like AR I'd have said that in half the words and twice as well!