Passive Voice: Structure, Rules, Uses, Examples & Worksheet

What Is Passive Voice?

According to Oxford Dictionary, passive voice definition is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb rather than performing it. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, in the passive, the person or thing that the action was done to becomes the topic or theme.

The passive voice is the opposite of the active voice, where the subject performs the action. It is formed using a form of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are, was, were, etc) followed by the past participle of the main verb. While active voice emphasizes the doer of the action, passive voice highlights the action itself or the receiver of the action. For example, the meal was cooked by the chef. (focus on the meal)

Structure and Rules of Passive Voice

Understanding the passive voice rules and structure is essential for clear and effective communication because it allows writers and speakers to control the focus of their sentences and adapt their style to different situations. The passive voice structure is - object (now the subject) + auxiliary verb (be) + past participle + (by + agent - optional).

For example, the ball was chased by the dog.

Here are the key rules:

• Subject Receives Action -The subject of a passive sentence is the recipient of the action, not the one performing it.
• Be + Past Participle - The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb (be) conjugated to match the tense of the original verb, followed by the past participle of the main verb.
• Optional Agent -The agent (the one performing the action) can be included in the passive sentence using (by) (e.g., the cake was eaten by her), but it is not always necessary or even desirable.
• Transitive Verbs Only -Passive voice is generally used with transitive verbs that take a direct object.
• Focus -Passive voice can be used to shift the focus of the sentence, emphasize the action or the object, or when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Passive Voice Formation

To form the passive voice, you generally use a form of the auxiliary verb ‘be’ (am, is, are, was, were, being, been), which indicates the tense. Understand the passive voice formula and examples based on tenses.

When Do You Use Passive Voice?

In different cases, the passive form can be used when the focus is on the action or the object being acted upon, rather than the actor. You might use it in the following cases.

• When the actor is unknown: For example, the door was broken.
• When the actor is unimportant: For example, the report is due on Friday.
• When the actor is obvious: For example, the bridge is being built by construction workers.
• When you want to emphasize the action or the object: For example, - the experiment was conducted successfully, emphasizes the successful experiment, not who conducted it.
• When you want to be indirect or impersonal: This is common in formal writing or when you do not want to assign blame.
• In scientific writing or technical reports: Passive voice can help maintain objectivity and focus on the process or results.

Why Should You Avoid the Passive Voice?

In academic writing, passive voice sentences can get you in trouble because they often add unnecessary words to a sentence, making it longer and more clumsy. You should avoid the passive form in favor of the active voice. While passive voice has its own uses, overusing them can weaken your writing and make it sound less direct. Here is a more detailed explanation.

• Vagueness and Ambiguity - It can obscure the subject of the sentence, making it unclear who or what is acting.
• Lack of Directness -Passive voice can make writing sound less forceful and direct, which can be a problem in persuasive writing or when conveying information.
• Cognitive Load -Passive voice structure requires more mental effort to process, potentially hindering comprehension.

Examples of Passive Voice Sentences

Given below are a few passive voice examples that can be used in everyday conversation and academic and formal settings. Read the following examples for better clarity.

Everyday Use

1. The flowers are watered every day.
2. The meeting was canceled by the manager.
3. The decision was made by the committee.
4. The letter was written by my mother.
5. The food was cooked by the chef.
6. The damage was caused by the storm.
7. All the cookies have been eaten.
8. My car has been stolen!.
9. The dogs have already been fed.
10. The children will be taught basic math.
11. The report will be finished by the end of next week.
12. The plants are being watered by him.
13. A cake will be baked by her.
14. The invitation cards were mailed by her.
15. The work will be completed soon by them.

Academic and Formal

1. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.
2. The data was analyzed using statistical software.
3. The results of the study will be published next month.
4. The report was reviewed by several experts.
5. This theory is supported by numerous studies.
6. The deadline for submissions has been extended.
7. The research findings were presented at the conference.
8. A new model was proposed to explain the phenomenon.
9. The new policy will be implemented in the fall.
10. The samples were prepared according to standard procedures.
11. The findings of the study were documented in the report.
12. The software was developed in collaboration with several universities.
13. The patient's condition was monitored closely.
14. The essay was written by a student.
15. The project was completed on time.

Finally, you have explored several examples for everyday use and formal ones too. After this, you should try solving passive voice exercises with different types of questions.

Passive Voice - Worksheet

The passive voice in grammar is a valuable grammatical tool with its specific uses. Till now, you have understood its structure and learned where you should use it. Now, it is your turn to check your understanding by solving the passive voice worksheet. Here are some questions; you have to convert them into passive form. After solving, you can match the correct answers below.

Q1: Who wrote the letter?

Q2: Did they finish the project?

Q3: The chef is preparing a meal.

Q4: She will clean the house.

Q5: He has eaten the pizza.

Q6: They are playing cricket.

Q7: They had already finished the work.

Q8: Who is watching the movie?

Q9: The company launched a new product.

Q10: Have they completed the task?

Answers for the worksheet:

1. The letter was written by someone.

2. Was the project finished by them?

3. A meal is being prepared by the chef.

4. The house will be cleaned by her.

5. The pizza has been eaten by him.

6. Cricket is being played by them.

7. The work had already been finished by them.

8. By whom is the movie being watched?

9. A new product was launched by the company.

10. Has the task been completed by them?

Conclusion

Learning passive voice tenses, structure, and rules in English is essential for expressing clear ideas and effective communication. In many situations, you must know when to use and when to avoid it. However, active and passive voice both play a crucial role in this language, so you must know about them. Other topics like prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and determiners also make your understanding more familiar. For a comprehensive mastery of English, especially through English online coaching, it is advisable to cover all of these.

FAQs

1. What Is a Passive Voice Example?

A simple example of passive voice is - the ball was thrown by the boy. In this sentence, the subject (the ball) receives the action of being thrown, which is performed by the boy. Here are more examples:

1. The cake was baked by my mother.
2. The window was broken by the storm.
3. The note was written by Shakira.
4. The report will be finished by Monday.

2. How Do I Identify Passive Voice?

Passive voice is identified when the subject of a sentence receives the action, rather than performing it. A common indicator is the presence of the ‘by’ phrase, but this is not always necessary. The verb will typically be a form of ‘to be’ followed by a past participle.

3. Why Is Passive Voice Used?

Passive voice is a valuable tool in English, but it should be used judiciously. It is more effective when the action or the object of the action is more important than the actor, or when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or needs to be obscured for some reason.

4. How to Explain the Passive?

In the sentence, the person or the thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added in the last, introduced with ‘by’.