Passive Voice in English Grammar
Passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. In passive voice sentences, the focus is on the object or recipient of the action.
Forming Passive Voice with Auxiliary Verb 'to be' + Past Participle
In passive voice, the auxiliary verb 'to be' is used in the appropriate tense followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the basic steps to form passive sentences:
- Identify the object.
- Use the appropriate form of 'to be' (is, am, are, was, were, has been, have been, will be, etc.).
- Add the past participle of the main verb.
- Include the subject (optional) introduced by 'by'.
Examples of Passive Voice in Different Tenses
Present Simple Tense
Active Voice: He repairs the car.
Passive Voice: The car is repaired by him.
Past Simple Tense
Active Voice: She wrote a novel.
Passive Voice: A novel was written by her.
Present Continuous Tense
Active Voice: They are building a house.
Passive Voice: A house is being built by them.
When to Use Passive Voice
Passive voice is commonly used when the doer of an action is unknown, unimportant, or when focusing on the action itself rather than the doer. Passive voice can also be used to create variety or to be more formal in writing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid using passive voice excessively.
- Avoid unclear or awkward phrasing in passive sentences.
- Avoid omitting the subject entirely if it is important for clarity.