The passive voice is a sentence structure where the focus shifts from the subject performing the action to the object receiving the action. It’s particularly useful when the action or its result is more important than who or what is performing it. The passive voice is commonly used in formal writing, reports, surveys, and law cases to emphasize objectivity and professionalism.
1. What is Passive Voice?
Active vs. Passive Voice
- Active Voice: The subject performs the action.
Example: “The chef cooks the meal.” - Passive Voice: The object becomes the focus, and the subject can be omitted if it’s not important or unknown.
Example: “The meal is cooked (by the chef).”
2. When to Use the Passive Voice
A. When the Performer is Unknown or Unimportant
- Example: “The window was broken.”
(It’s not necessary to know who broke it.)
B. To Emphasize the Action or Result
- Example: “A cure for the disease was discovered.”
(The focus is on the discovery itself.)
C. In Formal or Scientific Writing
- Example: “Data was collected over five months.”
(Common in research papers and reports.)
D. In Reports, Surveys, and Law Cases
- Example:
- Survey: “The results were analyzed by the research team.”
- Law Case: “The defendant was found guilty by the jury.”
- Report: “The policy was implemented in 2020.”
3. How to Form the Passive Voice
The passive voice is formed using the correct form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, etc.), followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure: Subject + be (form of “to be”) + past participle + (optional agent).
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | The company sells products worldwide. | Products are sold worldwide (by the company). |
| Past Simple | They built the bridge in 1900. | The bridge was built in 1900. |
| Future Simple | They will announce the winners tomorrow. | The winners will be announced tomorrow. |
| Present Continuous | The team is developing the new software. | The new software is being developed. |
| Present Perfect | They have completed the project. | The project has been completed. |
4. Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
When using modal verbs (can, could, should, must, etc.) with the passive voice, the structure is as follows:
Structure: Modal + be + past participle.
| Modal Verb | Example (Active) | Example (Passive) |
|---|---|---|
| Can | Anyone can complete the task. | The task can be completed by anyone. |
| Should | The supervisor should review the report. | The report should be reviewed by the supervisor. |
| Must | You must submit the application by tomorrow. | The application must be submitted by tomorrow. |
5. Common Passive Voice Mistakes
A. Forgetting the Past Participle
- ❌: “The book is write by the author.”
✅: “The book is written by the author.”
B. Using Passive Voice Unnecessarily
- ❌: “Mistakes were made.”
✅: “We made mistakes.”
(Here the passive voice could be used in some cases, depending on the context and focus)
6. When to Avoid the Passive Voice
While the passive voice can be useful, it’s not always the best choice. Avoid it in these cases:
- When the active voice is clearer: Use active voice to make sentences direct and easy to understand.
- When the doer of the action is important: If the subject is relevant, the active voice can provide a stronger emphasis on the doer.
7. Practice Exercises
A. Transform Active to Passive
- “The artist painted the mural.”
✅: “The mural was painted by the artist.” - “Scientists will discover new planets.”
✅: “New planets will be discovered by scientists.” - “They are repairing the car.”
✅: “The car is being repaired.”
B. Correct the Mistakes
- ❌: “The book is write by the author.”
✅: “The book is written by the author.” - ❌: “Mistakes were made.”
✅: “We made mistakes.”
8. Why Passive Voice Matters
The passive voice is a flexible tool that shifts focus in a sentence, helping to emphasize actions or results over the performer of the action. It’s especially useful in formal writing, reports, surveys, and law cases where objectivity and professionalism are key.
9. What’s Next?
- Explore Modal Verbs to learn how to express hypothetical situations.
- Dive into Reported Speech to master conveying what others have said.
Read, Write, English! 