Passive Voice: When and How to Use it

The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is not the one performing the action, but rather the one receiving the action. In other words, the focus is on the action itself and its effects on the object, rather than the subject performing the action.

Here are a few examples of the passive voice in action:

• “The car was hit by the truck.” (The subject, “car”, is receiving the action of being hit, not performing it)
• “The cake was baked by the chef.” (The subject, “cake”, is receiving the action of being baked, not performing it)
• “The book was written by the author.” (The subject, “book”, is receiving the action of being written, not performing it)

The passive voice is formed by using the verb “to be” in the appropriate form, followed by the past participle form of the main verb. For example, “was hit”, “was baked”, “was written”

It’s important to note that the passive voice is less direct and less specific than the active voice, which puts more emphasis on the subject of the sentence. The passive voice can also make sentences longer and less concise.

For example, the sentence “John hit the ball” in the active voice, can be rephrased as “The ball was hit by John” in the passive voice. The active voice is more direct, more specific and shorter.

It’s also important to note that the passive voice is used less frequently in spoken English, and it is more often found in written English, particularly in formal or academic texts.

In conclusion, the passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is not the one performing the action, but rather the one receiving the action. The passive voice is formed by using the verb “to be” in the appropriate form, followed by the past participle form of the main verb. It is important to note that the passive voice is less direct, less specific, and can make sentences longer and less concise than the active voice. It is also used less frequently in spoken English and more often found in written English, particularly in formal or academic texts.