Understanding Passive Voice

• The passive voice is a grammatical construction that shifts the focus of a sentence from the subject performing an action to the action itself or the object of the action.
• It's commonly used in formal writing, academic contexts, and when the doer of the action is unknown or less important.
• Understanding the passive voice enhances writing and communication, making it more versatile.

Passive Voice Formation

• Formed using a form of the verb to be and the past participle of the main verb.
• Shifts focus to the object of the action.
• Structure: Subject + form of "to be" + past participle + (optional by + agent).

Active vs. Passive Voice

• Active Voice: Subject (doer) + verb + object (receiver of action).
• Passive Voice: Object becomes the subject; verb changes to a form of "to be" + past participle.
• Example:
  • Active: "The teacher explains the lesson."
  • Passive: "The lesson is explained by the teacher."

Omitting the Agent

• The agent (doer of the action) can sometimes be omitted, especially if irrelevant or unknown.
  • Passive (agent omitted): "The lesson is explained."

Tenses in Passive Voice

• Tense of the passive voice follows the tense of the active voice.
  • Present Simple: "The report is written every year."
  • Past Simple: "The book was published in 2005."
  • Future Simple: "The project will be completed next month."
  • Present Perfect: "The document has been signed."

Describing Situations

• Used to focus on the event or action rather than the doer.
• Common in news reports, official communications, and academic writing.
• Maintains a more objective tone.
  • Active: "They closed the roads due to the storm."
  • Passive: "The roads were closed due to the storm."
• Useful when the agent is unknown or irrelevant.
  • Active: "The company launched a new product last week."
  • Passive: "A new product was launched last week."
• Helps create an impersonal or formal tone when describing ongoing or habitual actions.
  • "Decisions are made by the board of directors."
  • "The report is submitted every month."

Reporting Opinions

• Commonly used when the identity of the opinion holder is not important or is unknown.
• Typical in academic, journalistic, and formal writing.
• Structure: It + form of "to be" + believed/said/thought/considered + (optional to + verb).
  • Active: "People believe that the economy will improve next year."
  • Passive: "It is believed that the economy will improve next year."
• Places focus on the idea or opinion being reported, rather than the person holding it.
• Useful for conveying information without bias.
  • "The plan was considered too ambitious."
  • "The new design is regarded as a breakthrough in technology."
• Emphasizes the subject matter or the result of the action.

Conclusion

• The passive voice shifts focus from the subject to the action or the recipient of the action.
• Used to describe situations when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
• It is essential for reporting opinions or assessments in formal contexts.
• Enhances clarity, formality, and objectivity in communication.