Understanding Passive Voice

Passive voice is a grammatical construction where the object of an action becomes the subject of a sentence. In the active voice, the subject performs the action.

Structure of Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed by:

1.A form of the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, be, being, been)

2.The past participle of the main verb

  • Active Voice:
    The chef (subject) cooked (verb) the meal (object).
  • Passive Voice:
    The meal (subject) was cooked (verb) by the chef (agent).
When to Use Passive Voice

1.Emphasis on the Action or Object:

  • When the focus is on the action or the object receiving the action, rather than the doer.
  • Example: “The novel was read by thousands of people.” (Focus on the novel).

2.Unknown or Irrelevant Subject:

  • When the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context.
  • Example: “The documents were stolen.” (Unknown who stole them)

3.Formal or Scientific Writing:

    • In formal, academic, or scientific writing, the passive voice creates an objective tone.
    • Example: “The experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis.”

4.Variety in Sentence Structure:

    • To add variety to writing by avoiding repetitive subject-verb-object sentences.
    • Example: “Many techniques are used in the industry.”

5.Politeness or Tact:

    • To avoid assigning blame or to be more diplomatic.
    • Example: “Mistakes were made.” (Avoids directly saying who made them)

Why to Use Passive Voice

1.Focus on the Receiver:

  • Highlights the receiver of the action, useful when the receiver is more important than the doer.
  • Example: “The building was constructed in 1920.” (The building is the focus)

2.Impartial Tone:

  • Makes statements sound more neutral and less personal, often preferred in academic and scientific writing.
  • Example: “The results were analyzed.”

3.Clarity and Coherence:

  • Can make sentences clearer and more coherent, especially when the action is more important than the doer.
  • Example: “The software update was released yesterday.” (Important information is the release)

4.Avoiding Responsibility:

  • Used to avoid directly stating who is responsible for an action, useful in delicate or diplomatic situations.
  • Example: “Errors were found in the report.” (Does not specify who found them)

Examples of Passive Voice in Use:

  • Emphasis on Action/Object: “The cake was baked by Maria.”
  • Unknown Subject: “A decision has been made.”
  • Scientific Writing: “Data was collected from various sources.”
  • Variety: “Several methods are considered in this study.”
  • Politeness/Tact: “The issue has been resolved.”

Tense

Active Voice Example

Passive Voice Example

Structure

Present Simple

The chef cooks the meal.

The meal is cooked by the chef.

is/am/are + past participle

Past Simple

The painter painted the house.

The house was painted by the painter.

was/were + past participle

Future Simple

The engineer will build the bridge.

The bridge will be built by the engineer.

will be + past participle

Present Continuous

The writer is drafting the novel.

The novel is being drafted by the writer.

is/am/are + being + past participle

Past Continuous

The technician was fixing the computer.

The computer was being fixed by the technician.

was/were + being + past participle

Present Perfect

The architect has designed the building.

The building has been designed by the architect.

has/have been + past participle

Past Perfect

The tailor had sewn the dress.

The dress had been sewn by the tailor.

had been + past participle

Future Perfect

The scientist will have discovered the cure.

The cure will have been discovered by the scientist.

will have been + past participle

Present Perfect Continuous

The gardener has been planting the flowers.

The flowers have been being planted by the gardener.

has/have been being + past participle

Past Perfect Continuous

The mechanic had been repairing the car.

The car had been being repaired by the mechanic.

had been being + past participle

Future Perfect Continuous

The team will have been developing the software.

The software will have been being developed by the team.

will have been being + past participle