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Home - Grammar - Passive Voice
Passive Voice
 
 
 
 
Passive Voice

In this lesson you will learn the definition of passive voice and study examples of passive voice.
Passive Voice Definition
  • Passive voice is:
  • when the action described by the verb is not performed by the subject of the sentence
  • active voice: Mary teaches English.
  • passive voice: English was taught by Mary.
  • active voice: Elsa ate the cake.
  • passive voice: The cake was eaten by Elsa.
  • The passive voice is often a good choice when you want to put the emphasis on what has been done instead of on who performed the action, or if you want to convey a message in a more formal and detached style
  • Overall the active voice is more widely used than the passive voice
  • Generally you should try to use the active voice over the passive voice, because the active voice is easier to understand
  • The passive voice is used in writing much more often than in speech
  • The passive voice can be found in newspapers and magazines or articles, and it is very common in scientific and technical writing
Passive Voice Examples
  • English was taught by Mary.
  • The cake was eaten by Elsa.
  • The computers were repaired by Chuck.
  • The yogurt was served by Sarah.
  • The microphones were used by John.
  • Science was studied by Jill.
 
Grammar Tips
Can You Catch These Native Speaker Mistakes?
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An audio lesson to help with your understanding of common mistakes. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening, reading)

A video lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page.
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening, reading)

A video lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page.
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.