Rules and usage
The passive voice is a way of forming a sentence where we focus on the action or the person or thing that receives the action, rather than the person or thing that performs the action. In passive sentences, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb form changes to show this new structure.
When and Why We Use the Passive Voice
- We use the passive voice when we want to emphasize what happened rather than who did it: The bridge was built in 1995.
- We use it when we do not know who performed the action: My wallet was stolen.
- We use it when the action is more important than the agent: The letter was delivered this morning.
- We use it in formal writing, especially in scientific or academic contexts: The experiment was conducted over three months.
- We use it when it is obvious who performed the action or when it is not necessary to mention the agent: The president was elected last week.
✅ Positive sentence examples
| English | English |
|---|
| The phone was charged overnight. | |
| The room is being cleaned right now. | |
⛔ Negative sentence examples
| English | English |
|---|
| The phone was not charged overnight. | |
| The room is not being cleaned right now. | |
❓ Question sentence examples
| English | English |
|---|
| Was the phone charged overnight? | |
| Is the room being cleaned right now? | |