The passive voice is used to show that the subject is the recipient of the action. In other words, the subject is being acted upon. The passive voice is often used in scientific writing, as it can make complex processes easier to understand. It can also be used to make a sentence sound more formal.
To form the passive voice in English, we use the auxiliary verb to be with the past participle of the main verb. For example:
The new website was created by a team of designers.
In this sentence, the subject (the new website) is the recipient of the action (was created).
Here are some more examples of the passive voice in English:
- The lamp was knocked over by a gust of wind.
- A new law has been passed by the government.
- The theory has been disproven by new evidence.
It is also possible to use the passive voice without using to be. This is called the „get“ passive. For example:
- I got sunburned on vacation.
- He got fired from his job.
- They got married last year.
The passive voice is not always appropriate, however. In many cases, it can make a sentence sound awkward or unclear. When in doubt, it is usually best to use the active voice.
Here are some more examples of the passive voice in action:
- The lamp was knocked over by a gust of wind.
- A new law has been passed by the government.
- The theory has been disproven by new evidence.
