Passive Voice
What is passive voice?
A passive voice/sentence is one where the action is done to the subject.
- The boy was kissed by his girlfriend.
The active voice is where the the subject performs the action
- The boy's girlfriend kissed him.
Passive voice is a tool that politicians use well.
- Use passive voice when you want to avoid blame, giving credit or taking responsibilty.
- --- The politician agreed the bill had failed to pass.
- Use passive voice if you want to exclude yourself.
- --- The construction project ran over budget.
- Use passive voice when you want the focus on the action (not the doer)..
- --- I never received the call
- Use passive voice when the doer is not important or not known.
- --- The demonstration was held before the conference started.
Passive voice can easily confuse the reader. This may be the intent.
- The lawn mower was put in the garage.
- --- Who did it? We don't know.
- I put the lawn mower in the garage.
- --- The vagueness is removed. I put it there.
