Passive Voice

The passive shifts focus from who did it to what happened.

1. The doer is unknown or irrelevant The pyramids were built over several centuries. 2. You want to emphasise the action or result Over 500 species have been identified in this region. 3. Academic / formal writing Several factors must be considered when evaluating the policy. 4. Process description (Task 1) First, the beans are harvested. They are then dried in the sun.

Process (Task 1): > The data is collected from multiple sources, and then analysed using statistical software. Finally, results are presented in quarterly reports.

Research claim (Task 2): > It has been shown that early childhood nutrition affects adult health outcomes.

Policy analysis (Task 2): > Several criticisms could be raised against this proposal.

Cautious attribution (Task 2): > The decline in attention span is often blamed on social media, although the causal link remains debated.

Mistake 1: Forgetting "be" > ❌ The law passed last year. (ambiguous) > ✅ The law was passed last year. (passive — clear)

Mistake 2: Wrong past participle > ❌ The window was broked. > ✅ The window was broken.

Mistake 3: Using passive without good reason > ❌ A mistake was made by me. > ✅ I made a mistake. (active — simpler, clearer)

Mistake 4: Mixing voice mid-sentence > ❌ The company launched a new product and it was promoted on social media. (voice shift is clumsy) > ✅ The company launched a new product and promoted it on social media.

• When the doer is the point — Einstein developed the theory of relativity (not "was developed by Einstein" — less emphatic).
• In Speaking — passive sounds stilted in spontaneous speech. Use it in Writing.
• When it hides responsibility — "Mistakes were made" is vague on purpose. Active is clearer: "The manager made the wrong call."

Use passive with modal verbs for precise academic register:

• The issue should be addressed at policy level.
• This effect can be seen in multiple industries.
• The impact might be underestimated in current models.
• Such measures ought to be implemented cautiously.

Convert to passive (or to active if already passive).

1. Scientists have discovered a new species.
2. The report was written by a team of researchers.
3. People speak English in over 50 countries.
4. The parliament is discussing the bill this week.
5. Someone stole my bike yesterday.

Answers: > 1. A new species has been discovered (by scientists).
2. A team of researchers wrote the report.
3. English is spoken in over 50 countries.
4. The bill is being discussed (by the parliament) this week.
5. My bike was stolen yesterday.