Lesson 8: Passives

Understanding Passive Voice in English: A Comprehensive Explanation

The passive voice is a sentence structure where the object of an action becomes the subject of the sentence. This contrasts with the active voice, where the subject performs the action. The passive voice is often used when the focus is on the action itself or when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or irrelevant.

What Is the Passive Voice?

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action rather than performing it. It is formed by using the verb to be in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The doer of the action (if included) is often introduced by the preposition by, but it can sometimes be omitted if it's not necessary.

Structure:

• Subject + form of 'to be' + past participle of the main verb + (by + agent)

When to Use the Passive Voice

The passive voice is often used in the following situations:

1. When the focus is on the action or result, not on who performed it.

   • Example: "The book was read by millions."

2. When the doer of the action is unknown, irrelevant, or implied.

   • Example: "The cake was eaten."

3. In formal or academic writing, where the action itself is more important than the person performing it.

   • Example: "The experiment was conducted successfully."

Forming Passive Sentences

The passive voice is formed by combining the verb to be with the past participle of the main verb. The tense of the passive sentence corresponds to the tense of the active sentence. Here's a breakdown of different tenses in the passive voice:

1. Present Simple:
   Active: "She writes the report."
   Passive: "The report is written by her."

2. Past Simple:
   Active: "They built a house."
   Passive: "A house was built by them."

3. Present Continuous:
   Active: "They are repairing the road."
   Passive: "The road is being repaired."

4. Present Perfect:
   Active: "They have completed the project."
   Passive: "The project has been completed."

Example Sentences with Explanations

1. The book was written by the famous author.
   Explanation: In this sentence, the focus is on the book, not on the author. The book is the subject of the sentence, and the action (writing) was done by the author, but the author is introduced by the word "by."

2. The window has been broken.
   Explanation: The focus here is on the broken window, not the person who broke it. The action of breaking the window is complete, and the passive construction emphasizes the result.

Advantages of Using the Passive Voice

• The passive voice allows the writer to shift the focus of the sentence from the doer of the action to the action itself or its recipient.
• It is especially useful in situations where the agent (doer) is unknown or unimportant.
• It is common in formal, scientific, and academic contexts where the process or result is more relevant than the person performing the action.

Summary

The passive voice is a powerful tool in English that helps change the focus of a sentence from the subject performing the action to the action or result itself. It is formed using the verb to be and the past participle of the main verb. The passive is commonly used when the agent is unimportant, unknown, or implied, or when the focus is on the action or result. By understanding and using the passive voice, you can vary your sentence structures and improve clarity, especially in formal and academic writing.