How to use the passive voice, English Grammar

The passive voice is a grammatical construction in English that emphasizes the object of a sentence rather than the subject. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb, whereas, in the active voice, the subject performs the action of the verb.

How to use the passive voice

The passive voice is used in various situations, including:

When the focus is on the action rather than the person or thing performing the action:

• The cake was baked by my sister. (passive)
• My sister baked the cake. (active)

In this example, the passive voice is used to emphasize the action of baking the cake, rather than the person who performed the action.

When the person or thing performing the action is unknown or unimportant:

• The bank was robbed last night. (passive)
• Someone robbed the bank last night. (active)

In this example, the passive voice is used because the identity of the person who robbed the bank is unknown or unimportant.

When the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action:

• The letter was delivered to me this morning. (passive)
• The postman delivered the letter to me this morning. (active)

In this example, the passive voice is used to emphasize that the letter was delivered to me, rather than who delivered it.

When using the passive voice, it is important to use the appropriate verb tense, as well as to include the auxiliary verb "be" followed by the past participle of the main verb. 

For example:

• The book has been written by a famous author. (present perfect passive)
• The car was being repaired by a mechanic when I arrived. (past continuous passive)
• The project will be completed by the end of the week. (future passive)

While the passive voice can be useful in certain situations, it is important to use it judiciously and not overuse it, as it can make writing sound dull or unclear.