English Grammar - Active And Passive Voice

Active And Passive Voice

Use of Passive:

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

Example: My bike was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bile wan stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.
Sometime a statement in passive is more polite than in active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake).

Form of Passive:

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of Irregular verbs)
Example:
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• The object of the active sentences becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
• The finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)