Added simple passive voice checker.

Author: RyanMcCarl

README.md

@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ Additionally for compatible reason, the legacy configuration `~/.proselintrc` wi
 | `needless_variants.misc` | Using the preferred form |
 | `nonwords.misc` | Avoid using nonwords |
 | `oxymorons.misc` | Avoiding oxymorons |
+| `passive_voice.misc` | Reduce unnecessary use of passive voice |
 | `psychology.misc` | Avoiding misused psychological terms |
 | `redundancy.misc` | Avoiding redundancy and saying things twice |
 | `redundancy.ras_syndrome` | Avoiding RAS syndrome |

proselint/.proselintrc

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
         "needless_variants.misc"        : true,
         "nonwords.misc"                 : true,
         "oxymorons.misc"                : true,
+        "passive_voice.misc"            : true,
         "psychology.misc"               : true,
         "redundancy.misc"               : true,
         "redundancy.ras_syndrome"       : true,

proselint/checks/passive_voice/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"""Basic checks for passive voice."""

proselint/checks/passive_voice/misc.py

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""Check for constructs that may signal passive voice.
+
+Resources:
+https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/passive-voice/
+https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/539/
+
+---
+layout:     post
+source:     Purdue OWL
+source_url: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/539/
+title:      Passive voice
+date:       2018-06-12 21:35:00
+categories: writing
+---
+
+"""
+
+from proselint.tools import existence_check, memoize
+
+
+@memoize
+def check(text):
+    """Check for constructs that may signal passive voice."""
+    err = "passive_voice.misc"
+    msg = u"This seems to be in passive voice. Consider using active voice."
+    regex = (r"(\b(?:be|am|is|are|was|were|have|has|had|get)"
+             r"\b[\w\s]{,15}?(?:d|(?<!whe)n|ne|left|being|made)"
+             r"\b(?: by\b)?)")
+
+    return existence_check(text, [regex], err, msg,
+                           require_padding=False, offset=0)

tests/test_passive_voice.py

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+"""Tests for passive_voice.passive_voice check."""
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+from proselint.checks.passive_voice import misc as chk
+from .check import Check
+
+
+class TestCheck(Check):
+    """The test class for passive_voice.passive_voice."""
+
+    __test__ = True
+
+    @property
+    def this_check(self):
+        """Boilerplate."""
+        return chk
+
+    @property
+    def test_smoke(self):
+        """Basic smoke test for passive_voice.passive_voice."""
+        assert self.passes("This sentence is in the active voice.")
+        assert self.passes("Harry ate six shrimp at dinner.")
+        assert not self.passes("At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry.")
+        assert self.passes("Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah.")
+        assert not self.passes("The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes.")
+        assert self.passes("Sue changed the flat tire.")
+        assert not self.passes("The flat tire was changed by sue.")
+        assert self.passes("I ran the course in record time.")
+        assert not self.passes("The course was run by me in record time.")
+        assert self.passes("The choir really enjoys that piece.")
+        assert not self.passes("That piece is really enjoyed by the choir.")
+        assert self.passes("The two kings are signing the treaty.")
+        assert not self.passes("The treaty is being signed by two kings.")
+
+    def test_special_cases(self):
+        """
+        Test for special cases in passive voice.
+        https://multimedia-english.com/grammar/passive-voice-special-cases-52
+        """
+        assert self.passes(["I got fired yesterday.",
+                            "I was fired yesterday.",
+                            "If you get mugged, report it."
+                            "The balloon got filled with gas."
+                            "There was a fight, but nobody got hurt.",
+                            "Mary was given some flowers",
+                            "Some flowers were given to Mary",
+                            "I am thought to be a spy",
+                            "I was considered to be a tourist.",
+                            "I was made to do it.",
+                            "We were allowed to go."])
+        # Passive imperative, gramatically correct nonesense.
+        assert not self.passes(["Let the television be turned off.",
+                                "Let your money be given to me."])