Understanding Passive Voice

The passive voice is a way to show that the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb. It is different from the active voice, where the subject performs the action. For example, in the active voice: The chef cooks the meal. In the passive voice, it becomes: The meal is cooked by the chef.

When to Use Passive Voice

Using the passive voice can be useful in certain situations. It helps to focus on the action or the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. For instance, if we want to emphasize the impact of the action, we might say: The law was passed by the government. Here, the focus is on the law, not who passed it. This is especially useful in formal writing and reports.

Forming Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb to be plus the past participle of the main verb. Here’s a simple formula: Subject + form of to be + past participle. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Active: The students read the book.
  Passive: The book was read by the students.
• Active: The artist painted the mural.
  Passive: The mural was painted by the artist.

Advanced Examples

Let’s explore some advanced structures using the passive voice:

• The project will be completed by the team by the end of the month.
• The book has been studied by many students in this class.
• The new policy was announced last week.

These sentences illustrate how the passive voice can convey important information without focusing too much on the subject performing the action.

Practice Makes Perfect

To be comfortable using the passive voice, practicing is essential. Try rewriting sentences from the active voice to the passive voice and vice versa. Doing exercises and quizzes can also help reinforce what you’ve learned.

Now that you’ve learned about the advanced passive voice, it’s time to test your knowledge! Play the quiz below!