In grammar, the passive form (or passive voice) is a sentence structure where the subject of the sentence receives the action, rather than performing it. This means the focus is placed on the person or object that experiences an action, making them the most important element and the subject of the sentence, rather than highlighting the person or object that performs the action.
Understanding Passive Voice
The core characteristic of passive voice is this shift in emphasis. Instead of the "doer" being the star, the "receiver" or the "thing acted upon" takes center stage.
- Active Voice: Emphasizes the performer of the action.
- Example: The student wrote the essay. (The student is the performer)
- Passive Voice: Emphasizes the recipient of the action.
- Example: The essay was written by the student. (The essay is the recipient)
How to Form the Passive Voice
The passive voice is typically formed using a form of the auxiliary verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure:
Subject (recipient of action) + form of 'to be' + past participle (+ by + agent/doer, optional)
Examples of Formation:
- Present Simple: is/are + past participle
- Active: She reads books.
- Passive: Books are read.
- Past Simple: was/were + past participle
- Active: He built the house.
- Passive: The house was built.
- Present Perfect: has/have been + past participle
- Active: They have finished the project.
- Passive: The project has been finished.
- Future Simple: will be + past participle
- Active: We will deliver the package.
- Passive: The package will be delivered.
When to Use Passive Voice
While the active voice is generally preferred for clarity and directness, the passive voice has specific and appropriate uses:
- When the performer of the action is unknown or unimportant:
- Example: The window was broken. (We don't know or care who broke it.)
- When you want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action:
- Example: The new bridge was completed ahead of schedule. (The completion itself is the focus.)
- To maintain objectivity, common in scientific or technical writing:
- Example: The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions. (Focus on the process, not the scientists.)
- To avoid blaming someone directly:
- Example: Mistakes were made. (Less direct than "You made mistakes.")
- When the agent has already been mentioned or is obvious from the context:
- Example: John was attacked. (It's not necessary to say "by a mugger" if that's clear.)
Active vs. Passive Voice Comparison
Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication.
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Performer of the action (the "doer") | Recipient of the action (the "thing acted upon") |
| Structure | Subject + Verb + Object | Object + "to be" + Past Participle (+ by Agent) |
| Directness | More direct, clear, and concise | Often less direct, can be wordy |
| Examples | The artist painted the masterpiece. | The masterpiece was painted by the artist. |
| The company launched a new product. | A new product was launched by the company. |
Using the passive voice effectively involves choosing it deliberately to shift emphasis, rather than using it as a default.
