passive voice

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Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A grammatical voice: The passive voice is a construction where the grammatical subject of a sentence is the recipient or target of the action expressed by the verb, rather than the performer. It emphasizes the action or the object affected by the action.
Usage
  • The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb "to be" (e.g., , , , ) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
  • It is used when the focus is on the action itself or the object of the action, not on who performed it. The performer (agent) can be introduced with the preposition "by," but is often omitted.
  • It is common in formal, scientific, and technical writing where objectivity or process is emphasized.
Examples
  • Full passive (agent included):
    • The ball was thrown by the boy. (The subject, "the ball," receives the action of being thrown.)
  • Abbreviated or agentless passive:
    • The ball was thrown. (The action is emphasized; the thrower is unknown or unimportant.)
  • Formal/Technical context:
    • The experiment was conducted over three months. (Focus is on the experiment, not the researchers.)
    • Mistakes were made. (A common phrasing that avoids specifying who made the mistakes.)
Advanced Usage
  • Get-passive: In informal English, "get" is sometimes used instead of "be" to form the passive, often suggesting something happened by accident or unexpectedly.
    • He got promoted last week.
    • My phone got stolen.
  • Stative passive: This describes a state or condition resulting from an action, rather than the action itself. It often uses past participles like , , .
    • The store is closed. (Describes the state of being shut, not the action of closing it.)
  • Impersonal constructions: The passive is frequently used to make statements sound more formal or impersonal.
    • It is believed that... (Instead of People believe that...)
    • Customers are advised to... (Instead of We advise customers to...)
Variants and Related Words
  • Active voice: The grammatical voice where the subject performs the action of the verb (e.g., ). This is the counterpart to the passive voice.
  • Passivize (verb): To convert a sentence or clause from the active voice to the passive voice.
  • Passively (adverb): In a passive manner.
Synonyms
  • Non-active voice: A less common technical synonym.
  • Patient-focused construction: A descriptive term highlighting the focus on the recipient of the action.
Related Phrases & Concepts
  • By-phrase: The prepositional phrase beginning with "by" that introduces the agent in a full passive construction.
    • The cake was eaten **by the children**.
  • Agentless passive: A passive construction where the agent (the doer of the action) is not mentioned.
    • The window was broken. (We don't know who broke it.)
Related Idioms/Concepts
  • To be done / to be finished: These common stative passives are often used idiomatically to indicate completion.
    • Dinner is done. (Dinner is ready.)
    • I am finished with my work. (I have completed my work.)
  • It is said that...: A standard impersonal passive construction used for reporting general beliefs or rumors.
    • It is said that he is very wealthy.
Noun
  1. the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb
    • `The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice
    • `The ball was thrown' is an abbreviated passive

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