Passive Voice
Avoid the passive voice where possible. Active voice focuses on the performer of the action and is often clearer, shorter, and more direct than the passive voice.
According to the IBM Style Guide, the passive voice is acceptable in the following situations:
-
When the system performs the action
-
When it is more appropriate to focus on the receiver of the action
-
When you want to avoid blaming the user for an error, such as in an error message
-
When the information is clearer in the passive voice
-
When the information requires the passive voice, for example, glossary definitions
According to the Red Hat supplementary style guide for product documentation, you can use the passive voice in prerequisites.