Why Do We Use Passive Voice9 min read

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The passive voice is a grammatical construction that is used to shift the focus of a sentence away from the subject. When a sentence is written in the passive voice, the subject is not the one doing the action, but is instead the recipient of the action.

There are a number of reasons why you might want to use the passive voice in your writing. One reason is to avoid putting the focus on the subject. When the focus is on the subject, the reader might feel like they are being pressured or spoken to in a demanding way. By using the passive voice, you can take the focus off of the subject and make the sentence less aggressive.

Another reason to use the passive voice is to make the sentence sound less harsh. When a sentence is written in the active voice, it often sounds more aggressive and forceful. By using the passive voice, you can make the sentence sound softer and less confrontational.

Finally, the passive voice can be used to emphasize the action instead of the subject. When a sentence is written in the active voice, the subject is usually the one who is doing the action. By using the passive voice, you can draw attention to the action itself, and make it the focus of the sentence.

Why do we need passive voice?

There are occasions when the use of the passive voice is necessary for clarity or for producing a desired tone. Sometimes, the passive voice is more concise than the active voice. The passive voice can also make writing sound more formal or objective. Despite these benefits, there are times when the active voice should be used instead of the passive voice.

The active voice is more concise than the passive voice. The active voice is a sentence in which the subject performs the action. The passive voice is a sentence in which the subject receives the action. For example, “The cat killed the mouse” is an active voice sentence. “The mouse was killed by the cat” is a passive voice sentence. In the active voice sentence, the subject, the cat, performs the action, killing the mouse. In the passive voice sentence, the subject, the mouse, receives the action, being killed. The active voice is more concise because it requires fewer words.

The passive voice can make writing sound more formal or objective. The passive voice can be used to make writing sound more formal by adding a sense of detachment or neutrality. For example, the sentence “The experiment was conducted by a team of scientists” uses the passive voice and sounds more formal than the sentence “A team of scientists conducted the experiment.” The passive voice can also be used to make writing sound more objective by removing the writer’s opinion from the sentence. For example, the sentence “It was decided that the meeting would be adjourned” uses the passive voice and sounds more objective than the sentence “We decided to adjourn the meeting.”

Despite these benefits, there are times when the active voice should be used instead of the passive voice. The active voice is more concise and produces a stronger impact than the passive voice. The active voice also allows the writer to take responsibility for their writing. For these reasons, the active voice should be used whenever possible.

What are two reasons for passive voice?

There are a few reasons why you might want to use the passive voice in your writing. Let’s take a look at two of the most common ones.

1. To emphasize the object of the sentence

When you use the passive voice, the object of the sentence becomes the focus. This can be a great way to emphasize the importance of the object, or to highlight something that the reader might not have noticed otherwise.

For example, consider the following sentence:

The teacher graded the test.

This sentence is in the active voice, which means that the subject (the teacher) is doing the grading. However, you could also use the passive voice to emphasize the object of the sentence.

The test was graded by the teacher.

In this sentence, the focus is on the test, not the teacher. This can be a great way to highlight the importance of the test, or to make the reader think about the test in a different way.

2. To avoid putting the subject in a bad light

Sometimes, you might not want to focus on the subject of the sentence. In these cases, using the passive voice can be a great way to avoid putting the subject in a bad light.

For example, consider the following sentence:

The company was fined for breaking the law.

In this sentence, the company is the subject, and it was fined for breaking the law. However, you could use the passive voice to avoid putting the company in a bad light.

The law was broken by the company.

In this sentence, the focus is on the law, not the company. This can be a great way to avoid making the company look bad.

What is the purpose of active and passive voice?

Active and passive voice are two ways of constructing a sentence. Active voice is when the subject of the sentence is doing the action, for example, "I threw the ball." Passive voice is when the subject is having the action done to them, for example, "The ball was thrown to me."

The purpose of active and passive voice is to create clarity and emphasis. In active voice, the subject is doing the action and is therefore more important. In passive voice, the subject is having the action done to them and is less important. This can be helpful for emphasizing specific parts of a sentence.

Additionally, active and passive voice can be used to create a different tone. Active voice is more direct and forceful, while passive voice is more subdued and indirect. Each can be useful in different situations.

What are the rules for passive voice?

There are a few rules to keep in mind when using the passive voice. 

1. The passive voice should be used sparingly. It can make your writing sound awkward and convoluted. 

2. The passive voice is often used to emphasize the object of a sentence rather than the subject. 

3. The passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb “to be” and the past participle of the main verb. For example, “The book was written by John.” 

4. The passive voice can be used to make writing sound more formal or academic. 

5. When using the passive voice, it is important to ensure that the subject and object are clear.

What are the 4 reasons to use the passive?

There are many reasons to use the passive voice, but four reasons in particular stand out: conciseness, clarity, emphasis, and precision.

Conciseness is the first reason to use the passive voice. When you use the passive voice, you can often say the same thing with fewer words. For example, the sentence “The ball was hit by the bat” is shorter than “The bat hit the ball.” This is because the passive voice removes the subject of the sentence.

The second reason to use the passive voice is clarity. Sometimes the subject of a sentence is unknown or unimportant. In these cases, it is clear to use the passive voice. For example, the sentence “The door was opened” is clear, even though we do not know who opened the door.

The third reason to use the passive voice is to emphasize the object of the sentence. When the object is more important than the subject, the passive voice is a good way to emphasize it. For example, the sentence “The ball was hit by the bat” emphasizes the ball, not the bat.

The fourth reason to use the passive voice is precision. Sometimes it is important to know who did the action, but it is not important to know what the action was. In these cases, the passive voice is a good way to be precise. For example, the sentence “John was killed by a snake” is more precise than “John was killed.”

What passive voice means?

What passive voice means?

The passive voice is a grammatical construction that allows a subject to be acted on by an object. The passive voice is often used to emphasize the object in a sentence rather than the subject.

The passive voice is created by using a form of the verb to be and the past participle of the verb. For example:

The lamp was knocked over by a gust of wind.

In this sentence, the lamp is the subject and was knocked over is the passive voice. The emphasis is on the fact that the wind knocked the lamp over, not the person who knocked the lamp over.

The passive voice can also be used to make a sentence sound more formal or polite. For example:

The gift was given to me by my aunt.

In this sentence, the passive voice is used to make the sentence sound more polite. The emphasis is on the fact that my aunt gave me the gift, not me giving the gift to someone else.

Why do we use active and passive voice?

Active and passive voice are two ways of expressing a sentence. The active voice is more direct and forceful, while the passive voice is more subdued. Both have their uses, and it’s important to be aware of the difference between the two.

The active voice is the most common way to express a sentence. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence is doing the action. For example, "I am writing a paper." Here, "I" is the subject and "am writing" is the verb. The passive voice is less common, but it can be useful for emphasizing the object of a sentence or for disguising the identity of the subject. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon. For example, "A paper is being written by me." Here, "me" is the subject, but the action is "written by."

There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to use the active or passive voice. The active voice is more direct and often more concise. It’s also more forceful and can make your writing sound more confident. The passive voice can be useful for emphasizing the object of a sentence or for disguising the identity of the subject. It can also make your writing sound more passive or even timid.

In general, you should use the active voice whenever possible. However, there are some cases where the passive voice is more appropriate. If the subject of the sentence is unknown or unimportant, the passive voice can be useful for avoiding confusion. The passive voice can also be useful for emphasizing the object of a sentence.