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I'm trying to figure out the exact difference in the usage of します and されます.

For example:

> (something)画面が表示します。  
>  (something screen) will display
>
> 画面が表示されます。  
>  (the screen will be displayed)

Another example:

> This will be deleted.
>
> 削除します。  
>  削除されます。

When a person (noun) does something we use します。  
されます generally means "it will be done".

But in a number of contexts I've seen this used interchangeably.

Can someone clarify? How are 画面が表示します and 画面が表示されます different?
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2019-08-29T05:38:54.027
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grammar passive-voice
Difference between します and されます
The basic difference between します and されます is simple; します is active and されます is
passive (and sometimes honorific).

  * 紹介します。 I will introduce (someone to someone).
  * 紹介されます。 I will be introduced (to someone).

However, since the subject of a Japanese sentence is often omitted, you may
find cases where する and される appear to be interchangeable. For example 保存したファイル
and 保存されたファイル are usually interchangeable ("saved file"). The former literally
means "a file that someone saved", and the latter means "a file that was
saved".

Likewise, 削除します and 削除されます can be used interchangeably in a file delete
confirmation dialog:

> 削除します。よろしいですか?  
>  [Your operation] will delete [the file]. Proceed?
>
> 削除されます。よろしいですか?  
>  [The file] will be deleted. Proceed?

But note that these appear to be interchangeable because the subjects have
been omitted. If there is an explicit subject, [?]ファイルが削除します only means
something weird like "The file will delete something", whereas ファイルが削除されます
means "The file will be deleted".

表示 is a transitive-only suru-verb, so 画面が表示します normally means "A display will
show something (e.g., a button)". If you mean "A screen will show up", the
normal way to say this is 画面が表示されます (literally "A screen will be shown").

**Note** : You may find many examples of intransitive 表示, such as メッセージが表示します,
by googling, but I believe this is nonstandard. On BCCWJ, there are 729
instances of `が表示されます` and only 2 instances of `が表示します`. The 2 instances both
look weird to me. Many examples of `が表示します` on the net should be machine-
translated ones.
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2019-08-29T11:35:21.197
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answer
It seems your context is User interface (UI).

Microsoft's [Japanese style guide](https://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/language/StyleGuides) (for UI Localization) offers the following advice:

> In general, use active voice when the agent of action is person (user). Use
> passive voice when the action is automatically performed by computer from
> user‘s point of view.
>
> Examples:
>
> Open the file.
>
> `ファイルを開きます。`
>
> A dialog box is displayed.
>
> `ダイアログボックスが表示されます。`
>
> The program will restart the computer after the installation.
>
> `インストール後にコンピューターが再起動されます。`
>
> `インストール後、プログラムによりコンピューターが再起動されます。`
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answer