Using Passive Voice in Grammar to Focus on the Action, Not the Subject

Understanding passive voice in grammar is essential for improving your writing skills and making your sentences more dynamic. Whether you’re writing essays, reports, or even emails, knowing when and how to use the passive voice can make your communication clearer and more professional. While many writers are encouraged to avoid the passive voice, it has its place, especially when you want to shift the focus of your sentence from the doer of the action to the action itself or the recipient. In this guide, we’ll explore what passive voice in grammar is, how to use it effectively, and when it might be better to choose the active voice instead. Let’s dive in!

What is passive voice?

In passive voice in grammar, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb instead of performing it. Unlike the active voice, where the subject does something, the passive voice focuses on the recipient of the action.

Here’s the basic formula for constructing a sentence in the passive voice:

• [Subject] + [form of the verb ‘to be’] + [past participle of the verb] + [optional prepositional phrase (by + performer)]

For example:

• Active voice: The teacher (subject) explained (verb) the lesson (object).

• Passive voice: The lesson (subject) was explained (verb) by the teacher (performer).

Notice how the subject (the teacher) in the active voice becomes the object in the passive voice, and the object (the lesson) becomes the subject.

In the passive voice, we often omit the performer (the teacher in this case) if it’s not important or unknown, as in:

• The lesson was explained.

Why is Passive Voice Controversial?

The passive voice can sometimes make writing sound distant, overly formal, or less engaging. This is especially the case if the performer of the action is left out, making the sentence feel vague or impersonal. For instance:

• Passive: The task was completed on time.

• Active: John completed the task on time.

The active version feels more direct and clear because it identifies the person responsible for the action. But in some cases, the passive voice is necessary and adds value, especially when the performer of the action is unknown or less important than the recipient.

When to Use the Passive voice in grammar

Despite its controversial reputation, the passive voice can be quite useful. Here are several scenarios when the passive voice is the better choice:

1. When the performer is unknown or irrelevant

If the person performing the action is not important or unknown, the passive voice shifts the focus to the action itself. This is often seen in scientific writing, news reports, or formal documentation:

• The building was damaged in the storm (we don’t need to know who caused the damage).

• The car was stolen (the thief is unknown).

2. When the recipient of the action is more important

In certain situations, we want to emphasize the recipient of the action rather than the doer. For example, in a formal or professional setting, the focus is often on the outcome or the affected party:

• The report was submitted to the manager (the report, not the person who submitted it, is the focus).

• The law was passed (the emphasis is on the law, not who passed it).

3. In scientific or academic writing

The passive voice is widely used in scientific and academic writing because it emphasizes processes, results, and findings over the researchers. Here’s an example:

• The experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis (the experiment is the focus, not who conducted it).

4. In formal or legal contexts

In legal writing, passive constructions are often preferred because they focus on the action and not on the person performing it. For example:

• The contract was signed by the parties involved (the focus is on the signing of the contract, not who signed it).

 

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

Let’s quickly compare the active and passive voices to understand their differences more clearly.

The active voice is often preferred in most writing because it is direct and clear. However, as we’ve seen, the passive voice has its own specific purposes, especially when the action itself or the recipient of the action is more important than the performer.

How to Identify Passive voice in grammar

To identify the passive voice, check for the following structure in a sentence:

• The sentence should contain some form of the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were, etc.) followed by a past participle of a verb (usually ending in -ed or an irregular form like written, done, or seen).

Example:

• Passive: The homework was completed by the students.

• Active: The students completed the homework.

In the passive example, the action (completed) is being received by the subject (homework), and the performer (students) is included in the prepositional phrase by the students. If the performer is omitted, the focus is completely on the homework.

How to Change the Passive Voice to the Active Voice

Sometimes, you may find that your writing has become overloaded with passive constructions, making your sentences feel less dynamic and harder to follow. In these cases, switching from passive to active voice can improve the flow and clarity of your writing. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change passive voice to active voice:

Steps to Convert Passive to Active:

1. Identify the performer (the subject who does the action).

2. Move the performer into the subject position of the sentence.

3. Change the verb to its appropriate active form.

4. Move the recipient of the action (the original subject) into the object position, if necessary.

For example:

• Passive: The documents were signed by the manager.

• Active: The manager signed the documents.

• Passive: The email was sent by Sarah.

• Active: Sarah sent the email.

In these examples, we have reversed the structure so that the subject is now performing the action, which makes the sentence more straightforward and easier to understand.

Common Mistakes with Passive voice in grammar

Despite its utility, passive voice is often misused or overused, leading to awkward or overly complex sentences. Let’s look at some common mistakes that can occur when using the passive voice:

1. Unnecessary Use of Passive Voice

Sometimes, passive voice is used even when it’s unnecessary or makes the sentence unnecessarily wordy. Avoid passive voice when the performer of the action is clear and important to the context.

For example:

• Passive: The proposal was reviewed by the team.

• Active: The team reviewed the proposal.

The active voice here is clearer, direct, and less wordy.

2. Omitting the Performer

Omitting the performer of the action when it’s important or relevant to the sentence can lead to confusion. While the passive voice allows you to omit the performer, sometimes it’s important to include them for clarity.

For example:

• Passive: The task was completed.

• Active: The project manager completed the task.

In this case, it’s vital to mention who completed the task for the sentence to be meaningful.

3. Confusing Past Participles

Sometimes, a sentence might look passive when it’s not because of the use of past participles or other verb forms. Be cautious of sentences that use “to be” plus a past participle but are not passive.

For example:

• Not passive: The man is sitting in the chair.

• Passive: The chair is sat in by the man.

While “sitting” seems like it could make the sentence passive, it’s actually a linking verb rather than a verb of action, which keeps the sentence active.

Creative Uses of passive voice in grammar

While overusing the passive voice can weaken your writing, there are instances where it can be used creatively for style, tone, or narrative purposes. Here are some examples of how passive voice can be used effectively in literature and storytelling:

1. Creating Suspense or Mystery

Writers can use the passive voice to emphasize the action over the agent performing the action, creating a sense of mystery or suspense. The performer is often hidden, which encourages the reader to focus more on the event itself than on who caused it.

Example:

• Passive: The secret was revealed at midnight.

• Active: Someone revealed the secret at midnight.

By using the passive voice, the writer shifts the focus from the person revealing the secret to the fact that it was revealed, making the moment more suspenseful.

2. Focusing on the Result, Not the Action

In some cases, the writer may want to emphasize the result of an action rather than the performer. This is often used in situations where the outcome is more important than the person who created it.

Example:

• Passive: The award was given to her for her dedication.

• Active: They gave her the award for her dedication.

The passive voice shifts the focus to the award rather than the people who gave it, highlighting the importance of the achievement rather than the action.

3. Beating Around the Bush

In more formal or polite contexts, the passive voice can sometimes be used to soften a statement or avoid assigning blame. This is a common technique in diplomatic writing and literature.

Example:

• Passive: Mistakes were made in the report.

• Active: We made mistakes in the report.

The passive voice avoids direct responsibility and can soften the impact of admitting errors.

When to Avoid the passive voice in grammar

While the passive voice has its uses, there are several scenarios where it’s better to use the active voice instead. Here are some of the most common situations where the active voice is preferred:

1. For Clarity and Conciseness

In most writing, clarity is key. The active voice is more direct and often clearer, making your sentence easier to understand. The passive voice can create unnecessary complexity and vagueness.

For example:

• Passive: A mistake was made during the presentation by the team.

• Active: The team made a mistake during the presentation.

The active voice in this example is clearer and more direct, emphasizing the team’s action and making the sentence more concise.

2. To Take Responsibility

When you want to take ownership of an action, using the active voice is the best choice. The passive voice often hides the performer of the action, which can lead to a lack of accountability.

For example:

• Passive: The report was forgotten.

• Active: I forgot the report.

In this case, the active voice clearly shows responsibility for the mistake, whereas the passive voice avoids placing blame.

3. For More Dynamic and Engaging Writing

The active voice tends to create more engaging, vivid, and energetic writing. It helps the writing feel more immediate and lively, which is why it is favored in narrative writing and dialogue.

For example:

• Passive: The ball was kicked by the player.

• Active: The player kicked the ball.

The active voice here is more dynamic and creates a clearer image for the reader.

Conclusion On Passive voice in grammar

The passive voice in grammar is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can elevate your writing by shifting focus and creating emphasis. Whether you’re writing academically, formally, or creatively, understanding when and how to use the passive voice is crucial for effective communication. Remember that while the active voice is often preferred for clarity and directness, the passive voice has its place in writing, especially when the action or recipient is more important than the performer or when the performer is unknown or irrelevant. By mastering both voices, you’ll be able to craft more dynamic and impactful sentences in any context.