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Using Passive Voice

In English, there are two voices: active voice and passive voice. Note that voices are different from tenses. Study the example sentence given below.

This sentence is in the simple present tense. It is also in the active voice. When we change this sentence into the passive voice, the tense doesn't change.

Most tenses have active and passive voices. The perfect continuous tenses are exceptions to this rule. They only exist in the active form. Students should be able to recognize the active and passive voice form of each tense.

Some verbs cannot have passive forms. Most of them refer to states rather than actions.

We cannot change this sentence into the passive, because has is a stative verb with no passive form.

While writing and speaking, it is a good idea to use active voice as often as possible.

In the active voice, the subject performs the action. Sentences in the active voice usually begin with the doer of the action (subject). The verb comes after the subject and is immediately followed by the object.

The simplest sentence pattern in the active voice is subject + verb + direct object.

Because a sentence in the active voice begins with the actor or the subject, it is easier for the reader or the listener to follow.

Subject + verb + object

The object can be followed by a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase is a phrase beginning with a preposition. Examples are: in the corner, on the root and at the beginning.

Subject + verb + object + prepositional phrase

Note that the subject and the object are always nouns or noun equivalents.

The subject and the object can be modified by an adjective or another determiner. Determiners are words like articles (a/an, the), possessives (my, your, his, her etc) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those).

Some verbs do not take an object. In grammars these are called intransitive verbs. Note that the same verb can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another sentence.

Intransitive verbs can be followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase.

Subject + verb + adverb

Subject + verb + prepositional phrase

We have already learned that the subject performs the action in the active voice. In the passive voice, the subject is affected by the action of the verb.

We cannot change an active sentence into the passive if the active verb does not have an object. Even if the active verb has an object, sometimes we prefer the active voice.

Study the example sentences given below.

We can change this sentence into the passive because the active verb (studied) has an object (literature).

Although the sentence given above is grammatically correct, it sounds awkward. This is because here the writer is talking about herself. Therefore the active sentence sounds more natural and passive voice seems unnecessary.

Use the passive voice when it is necessary

As we have already learned, we cannot use the active voice all the time. Although the active voice is better than the passive voice, sometimes the passive voice must be used.

The three main reasons for using the passive voice are given below.

1. The actor is unknown or unimportant

The passive voice is preferred when we do not know who performed the action or when it is not necessary to mention the name of the actor.

Here the writer uses the passive voice probably because he or she doesn't know who built the pyramids. Or perhaps the writer is not interested in mentioning that.

Here again we do not say who wrote the books and hence the passive voice is used.

2. The actor is already mentioned or assumed

The passive voice is preferred in cases where the actor is already mentioned or assumed.

This sentence doesn't say who laid the table. It could be anybody - the hostess, the speaker's mother or the speaker herself. Here the focus is not on the person who performs the action, but on the result.

3. The paragraph needs variety and style.

Although active sentences are better, writers sometimes use passive voice just to add a bit of variety to their writing. Read the paragraph given below. It is taken from The House of the Arrow.

Ann ran for the door, but she was too late. A black figure dropped from the bookcase to the ground, and as Ann reached out her hands to the door, a scarf was whipped about her mouth, stifling her cry. She was jerked back into the room.

Here the writer uses a mix of active and passive voices to make the passage interesting.

Sections in this article

Active and passive voice
Choice of passive structures
Passive verb forms
Verbs not used in the passive
Passives: agents
Passives: verbs with two objects
Passives: sentences with infinitive and clause objects
Passives: verbs with object and infinitive
Passives: object complements

 

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