Passive Voice

Passive Voice, in grammar, is a grammatical structure in which the subject of a sentence is receiving the action of the verb, rather than performing the action. It is commonly used to emphasize the receiver of the action, to highlight the importance of the action itself, or to remove the doer of the action from the sentence. Passive voice sentences are constructed by using a form of the verb to be, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

How to Use Passive Voice

To form a passive voice sentence, you will need to:

• Identify the subject and the verb of the active voice sentence.
• Change the subject to the object of the preposition by.
• Change the verb to the past participle form.
• Add a form of the verb to be that agrees with the subject.

Active voice: The cat ate the mouse. Passive voice: The mouse was eaten by the cat.

When to Use Passive Voice

Passive voice can be used in a variety of situations. Here are a few of the most common:

• To emphasize the receiver of the action. The passive voice can be used to shift the focus of a sentence from the doer of the action to the receiver of the action. This can be useful when you want to highlight the importance of the receiver or when you don't know who the doer of the action is.
• To highlight the importance of the action. The passive voice can also be used to emphasize the importance of the action itself. This can be useful when you want to show that the action is significant or when you want to create a sense of suspense.
• To remove the doer of the action. The passive voice can be used to remove the doer of the action from the sentence. This can be useful when you don't know who the doer of the action is or when you want to avoid blaming someone for an action.

Benefits of Using Passive Voice

There are several benefits to using passive voice. Here are a few of the most common:

• Clarity. Passive voice can help to make your writing clearer and more concise. By removing the doer of the action, you can focus on the action itself and the receiver of the action.
• Emphasis. Passive voice can help you to emphasize the importance of the action or the receiver of the action. This can be useful for creating a sense of suspense or for highlighting the significance of an event.
• Objectivity. Passive voice can help you to create a more objective tone in your writing. By removing the doer of the action, you can avoid blaming or praising anyone for an action.

When to Avoid Passive Voice

There are also some situations in which you should avoid using passive voice. Here are a few of the most common:

• When the doer of the action is important. If the doer of the action is important to the sentence, you should avoid using passive voice. This is because passive voice will remove the doer of the action from the sentence.
• When the action is unimportant. If the action is unimportant to the sentence, you should avoid using passive voice. This is because passive voice will make the sentence more wordy and less concise.
• When the sentence is ambiguous. Passive voice can sometimes lead to ambiguous sentences. This is because it can be difficult to tell who is performing the action in a passive voice sentence.

Conclusion

Passive voice is a grammatical structure that can be used to emphasize the receiver of the action, to highlight the importance of the action, or to remove the doer of the action from the sentence. It can be a useful tool for writers, but it is important to use it correctly. If you are unsure whether or not to use passive voice, it is always best to consult a grammar guide.