Pasive voice definition in English

Passive voice is a grammatical term used in English language to describe a sentence in which the subject is the receiver of the action expressed by the verb, rather than the doer. In other words, in a passive voice sentence, the action is performed upon the subject by the agent or the doer of the action, which usually comes after the verb or is omitted from the sentence altogether.

For example, in the sentence “The cake was baked by Mary,” the subject “cake” is being acted upon by the agent “Mary”, and is not performing the action itself. This is a passive voice sentence, as opposed to the active voice sentence “Mary baked the cake,” where the subject “Mary” is the doer of the action expressed by the verb “baked”.

Here are some situations where you might want to use passive voice:

Passive voice is useful in situations where the focus of the sentence is on the action being done, rather than the person or thing doing it. Here are some situations where you might want to use passive voice:

1. When you don’t know or don’t want to mention who is doing the action:

   • “The window was broken.”
   • “The cake was eaten.”

2. When the person or thing doing the action is not important:

   • “Mistakes were made.”
   • “The decision was made to close the store.”

3. When the action is more important than the person or thing doing it:

   • “The car was stolen.”
   • “The bridge was built.”

4. When you want to be vague about who is doing the action:

   • “A decision was made.”
   • “The mistake was discovered.”

It’s worth noting that while passive voice can be useful in certain situations, it can also make your writing less clear and direct. It’s generally better to use active voice when possible.

Constructing a sentence in English in the passive voice

The rules for writing passive voice sentences in English are different from those for writing active voice sentences. Here are some key points to keep in mind when writing in the passive voice:

1. In passive voice sentences, the object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence. For example, “John ate the apple” becomes “The apple was eaten by John.”
2. The verb in a passive voice sentence is always in the past participle form, which is created by adding “-ed” to the base form of a regular verb (e.g. “eaten”, “played”, “built”) or using the third form of the irregular verb (e.g. “written”, “broken”, “seen”).
3. The agent (the person or thing performing the action) is not always mentioned in passive voice sentences. If you want to mention the agent, use the preposition “by” followed by the agent (e.g. “The book was written by J.K. Rowling”).
4. Passive voice sentences can be useful when the focus is on the action or the result of the action, rather than on who or what performed the action. They are also appropriate when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or should not be mentioned.
5. Passive voice sentences can be less clear and direct than active voice sentences, and can make writing sound more formal or impersonal. They can also be wordy and redundant, and can hide the responsibility for an action.

In contrast, active voice sentences are structured so that the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. They are usually clearer, more direct, and more engaging than passive voice sentences. Active voice sentences are appropriate when you want to emphasize who or what is performing the action, and when you want to make writing sound more lively and dynamic.

Definition of passive voice

Passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb rather than performing the action itself. In passive voice, the object of the verb becomes the subject of the sentence and the agent performing the action (if mentioned) is introduced with the preposition “by”. Passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, “The cake was baked by Mary” is a passive voice sentence, whereas “Mary baked the cake” is in active voice.

Usage of passive voice

Passive voice is used in English to emphasize the object or the action being performed on the object rather than the subject performing the action. Here are some common situations where passive voice might be used:

1. When the performer of the action is unknown or unimportant: In situations where it is unclear who or what is performing the action, passive voice can be used to emphasize the action being performed rather than the performer. For example, “The car was stolen” emphasizes that the car was stolen rather than who stole it.
2. When the performer of the action is obvious: Passive voice can be used when the performer of the action is obvious or already known. In this case, it is more important to emphasize the action being performed. For example, “The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci” emphasizes the painting of the Mona Lisa rather than the fact that Leonardo da Vinci painted it.
3. When the focus is on the action, not the subject: Passive voice can be used when the focus of the sentence is on the action being performed, rather than the subject performing the action. For example, “The building was destroyed by the hurricane” emphasizes the destruction of the building rather than who or what caused the destruction.

It is important to note that passive voice can be less clear and direct than active voice, and can sometimes be more difficult to understand. In addition, it can be seen as less engaging or interesting than active voice. As such, it is generally recommended to use passive voice sparingly and only in situations where it is appropriate and effective for the desired emphasis and tone of the sentence.

How to change active voice to passive voice

To change a sentence from active voice to passive voice, you need to follow these general steps:

1. Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence.
2. Move the object to the beginning of the sentence.
3. Add the auxiliary verb “to be” in the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence.
4. Change the main verb to its past participle form.
5. Add the preposition “by” followed by the subject of the active sentence (if you want to include it).

Here’s an example of how to change an active sentence to passive voice:

• Active: The cat chased the mouse.
• Passive: The mouse was chased by the cat.

1. Subject: The cat Verb: chased Object: the mouse
2. Object: the mouse
3. Auxiliary verb: was (because “chased” is in the past tense)
4. Past participle: chased becomes “chased”
5. “By” + subject: by the cat

In the passive sentence, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, the verb is changed to its past participle form, and the subject (if included) is introduced by the preposition “by.”

10 example of sentences in passive voice

1. The cake was baked by my sister.
2. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg.
3. The car was repaired by the mechanic.
4. The letter was written by John.
5. The ball was thrown by the pitcher.
6. The house was built by the contractor.
7. The book was written by J.K. Rowling.
8. The room was cleaned by the maid.
9. The flowers were watered by the gardener.
10. The speech was given by the president.