PASSIVE VOICE

Why and when do we use the Passive Voice?

Many times, when we talk or write, we switch to the use of passive voice - sometimes we do it unintentionally. Why do we do it? A possible reason is that we don't know who did the action. For example, a teacher says to her class, "The exam was stolen. Who stole the exam?" The teacher does not know who stole the exam and hence has to use the passive voice.

Another reason for using passive voice is to be polite, or to walk around a sensitive issue. For example, a teacher could say to the class, "A racist comment was made in the class. Let's talk about racism." The teacher uses the passive voice in order to avoid blaming someone directly and make him or her feel uncomfortable.

Other reasons to use the passive voice could be:

1. To describe scientific or industrial processes.
2. For academic objectivity.
3. To describe habitual or repeated processes.
4. To describe daily routine of people or animals (or for past routines, customs, processes).
5. Stative use, for example: I am tired, I was exhausted.
6. Narrative: describing the fate of a person/animal/thing who was unable to control their own destiny.
7. Official reports of past events, when the outcome of the action is more important than the person who did that, or when the perpetrator is unknown.

What is the Passive Voice?

What are the rules of Passive Voice?