Passive Voice

Passive Voice

• Use of Passive:

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

1. We use the passive voice when you do not know who performed the action.

Examples:

  -A Civilian has-been killed.

  -The Car was stolen.

2. We use the passive voice when we give more importance to what happened, that who performed the action or when not to say who made it.

Examples:

  -The Letter was delivered yesterday.

  -A Mistake was made.

• Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle 

  Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

1. the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
2. the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle).
3. the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped).