Module 7: Aspects of Voice - Lesson 7.3: Uses of the Passive Voice - When to Use Passive Voice Effectively

Module 7: Aspects of Voice - Lesson 7.3: Uses of the Passive Voice - When to Use Passive Voice Effectively

Lesson 7.3: Uses of the Passive Voice - When to Use Passive Voice Effectively

Welcome to Lesson 7.3! Now that we understand how to form the passive voice, we will explore *when* and *why* to use it effectively. While active voice is generally preferred for its directness and clarity, passive voice serves important purposes in English and is valuable in specific situations. Knowing when to choose passive voice is crucial for sophisticated and contextually appropriate communication.

Key Situations for Using Passive Voice:

Passive voice is strategically used in several scenarios. Here are the main reasons and contexts where passive voice is often preferred or more appropriate than active voice:

  1. When the Agent (Performer of Action) is Unknown or Unimportant:

    If you don't know who performed the action, or if the actor is not relevant to the main point, use passive voice. The focus shifts to the action or the receiver.

    Examples:

    • "My wallet was stolen." (Agent - thief - is unknown or unimportant; focus is on the event of theft).
    • "The window was broken." (Agent - who broke it - is unknown or not the focus; focus is on the broken window).
    • "English is spoken all over the world." (Agent - people - is very general and unimportant to specify; focus is on the spread of English language).
    • "The bank was robbed last night." (Agent - robbers - might be unknown or not yet caught; focus is on the event of robbery).
    • "Mistakes were made." (Agent - who made mistakes - deliberately vague or unimportant to specify; focus on the fact that mistakes occurred).
  2. When You Want to Emphasize the Action or the Receiver of the Action:

    Passive voice allows you to highlight the action itself or the person/thing being acted upon, rather than the actor. This is useful when the action or the receiver is more significant than who performed it.

    Examples:

    • "The President was assassinated." (Focus is on the event of assassination and the President as the receiver, less on who did it initially in the sentence).
    • "The new product was launched yesterday." (Focus is on the event of the product launch, and the product itself, less on which team or company launched it in this sentence).
    • "Valuable artifacts were discovered in the ancient tomb." (Focus is on the discovery and the artifacts themselves, less on the archaeologists in this sentence).
    • "The road has been repaired after the storm." (Focus is on the repaired road, and the action of repair, less on the workers who repaired it in this sentence).
    • "This house was built in 1920." (Focus is on the house and its construction, less on the builders in this context).
  3. In Formal or Impersonal Writing (e.g., Scientific Reports, Official Announcements, News Reports):

    Passive voice is often used in formal writing to create a more objective, impersonal, or authoritative tone. It can make writing seem more factual and less subjective. Scientific and technical writing frequently uses passive voice to focus on processes and results, rather than the researchers themselves.

    Examples:

    • "The experiment was conducted in controlled conditions." (Scientific writing - impersonal, focus on the process).
    • "It is advised that all passengers arrive at least two hours before departure." (Official announcement - impersonal advice).
    • "The suspect was arrested at the scene." (News report - factual, focus on event and suspect, possibly agent - police - understood but not foregrounded).
    • "Payment is required within 30 days of the invoice date." (Formal business communication - impersonal requirement).
    • "The data were analyzed using statistical software." (Technical report - focus on methodology).
  4. To Avoid Blaming or Naming the Actor (Tact or Diplomacy):

    Sometimes, passive voice is used to avoid directly mentioning who is responsible for an action, which can be useful in sensitive situations where you want to be tactful, polite, or avoid direct blame.

    Examples:

    • "The decision was made to reduce staff." (Impersonal, avoids naming who made the unpopular decision - tactful).
    • "The error was made during the process." (Avoids pointing fingers at who made the error - diplomatic).
    • "Your application has been rejected." (Impersonal in formal rejection notices).
    • "The information was misinterpreted." (Avoids saying 'you misinterpreted' - more gentle).
    • "It has been decided that the meeting will be postponed." (Impersonal, vague about decision-maker).
  5. For Sentence Variety and Flow:

    Using a mix of active and passive voice can improve sentence variety and make writing more engaging and less monotonous. Sometimes, passive voice can help to link ideas smoothly between sentences, especially when the 'receiver' of the action in one sentence becomes the focus of the next.

    Example:

    Active sentences can be made passive for stylistic variation:

    • Active (all sentences active): "The company announced record profits. It attributed the success to new marketing strategies. They implemented these strategies last year." (Repetitive subject 'The company/It/They').
    • Varied (mix of active and passive): "The company announced record profits. The success was attributed to new marketing strategies. These strategies were implemented last year." (Passive voice in second and third sentences shifts focus and creates variety, linking 'success' and 'strategies' more smoothly).
  6. When the Subject is 'They', 'People', 'Someone', etc. (General Agents):

    If the active subject is a general term like 'they', 'people', 'someone', 'police', etc., and it's not important to be specific, passive voice can be more concise and natural.

    Examples:

    • "They say that..." (Active, very general subject). Better in passive: "It is said that..." (More formal and concise passive, agent 'they' is very general and unimportant).
    • "People believe..." (Active, general subject). Better in passive: "It is believed that..." (More formal, agent 'people' is general).
    • "Someone has broken the window." (Active, vague 'someone'). Better in passive: "The window has been broken." (Agent is vague, focus on broken window).
    • "Police have arrested two men." (Active, specific but perhaps agent obvious in context). Can be passive: "Two men have been arrested." (Focus on the arrested men, police understood contextually if needed).

Important Note: Avoid Overuse of Passive Voice

While passive voice has its uses, it's generally recommended to use active voice more often. Overuse of passive voice can make writing sound weak, vague, indirect, and wordy. Active voice is usually clearer, more direct, and more engaging. Learn to recognize when passive voice is truly beneficial for the reasons outlined above, and when active voice is the better choice. We will discuss this more in Lesson 7.7: Avoiding Overuse of Passive Voice.

Key takeaway: Use passive voice when the agent is unknown or unimportant, to emphasize the action or receiver, in formal writing, to be tactful, for sentence variety, and when the subject is a general agent like 'they' or 'people'. However, be mindful not to overuse passive voice as active voice is generally clearer and more direct. Next, we will explore Lesson 7.4: Passive Voice with Different Tenses!