Created by Kathryn Reilly The Passive Voice

The passive voice occurs when writers place the object, instead of the subject, at the sentence’s beginning. – The jewel was hidden by the servant. – In this sentence, the subject (the servant) comes at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning. This places the sentence’s emphasis on the jewel, and increases reader curiosity.

Why Use the Passive Voice? Passive voice should be used to: – alert the reader to the subject’s absence – emphasize the object’s importance – streamline scientific writing

Using the Passive Voice The passive voice may be used effectively if the sentence lacks a subject. – The jewel was hidden. If it is unknown who hid the jewel, then the passive voice should be used. And/or if the writer wishes to create suspense by withholding this information, then the passive voice is appropriate.

Using the Passive Voice The passive voice may be used effectively to emphasize the object’s importance to the sentence. – The jewel was found two centuries later. If the focus is on the jewel and not who found it, then it would be more appropriate to use the passive voice.

Using the Passive Voice The passive voice may be used in scientific writing to describe a process or result. – The bacteria was added to the Petri dish. In scientific writing, the passive voice allows the writer to focus on the steps or processes involved in the research.

The passive voice requires two elements: – The object at the sentence’s beginning – A linking verb paired with a regular verb Common linking verbs: is, are, was, were The firefighter saved the puppy. – Ask what was saved to identify the object. (The puppy) The puppy was saved by the firefighter. – Now, the sentence focuses on the puppy instead of the firefighter. Creating the Passive Voice

Writing in Passive Voice To write in passive voice, identify the object and pair a linking verb with a regular verb: Active voice: A servant saved the kingdom. Ask: What was saved? A kingdom. Passive voice: A kingdom was saved by a servant.

Use the passive voice when – The subject is unknown – The object is the focus – Writing a scientific process To write in the passive voice, place the object at the sentence’s beginning. Passive Voice Review