I suspect that the standard was written this way to compensate for the abuse of the passive voice that we often find in youthful writing. As with most standards, however, I believe that the intention is not to force any exclusivity, but to make sure that the students can use this particular standard (as with any other) with accuracy and skill. Taken out of context, however, it can seem rigid and limiting.
   
  The standards movement has much to offer, but it is also full of flaws. I often suggested that we need to use caution regarding the use of standards or any other "new wave" of education jargon (e.g., right now "Differentiated Instruction" seems to be the popular thing). I think I have also suggested we could all benefit form taking a dip in Susan Ohanion's One Size Fits Few and her web site. 
   
  On a parallel note, this reminds me of one of my bugaboos about computer grammar checks. MS Word seems incapalbe of "liking" any use of the passive vocie.
   
  Paul D.

"Myers, Marshall" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
  Gretchen Lee wrote:
      Hi,
   
  Our curriculum committee just presented us with a draft of the language arts standards for our private school.  Here are my seventh grade grammar standards:
   
  1. Place modifiers properly and use the active voice.
  2. Identify and use infinitives and participles and make clear references between pronouns and antecedents.
  3.  Identify all parts of speech and types and structure of sentences.
  4. Demonstrate the mechanics of writing (e.g., quotation marks, commas at the end of dependent clauses) and appropriate English usage (e.g. pronoun reference).
   
  Anyone have any comments on these?
   
  Thanks,
  Gretchen
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Gretchen,

I would be careful of outlawing the passive voice. It has legitimate uses in writing, and to say it is always wrong and should never be used is just not true. Notice the passive voice in the preceding sentence?

Marshall
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"If this were play'd upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction" (_Twelfth Night_ 3.4.127-128).

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