Super 6 Reasons to Use the Passive Voice

Oftentimes, we find the non-native English teachers trying to ask learners to change sentences into the passive so indiscriminately that the sentences are structurally/ syntactically correct but semantically very clumsy to use in real-life communications. 

For example:

• The police arrested the thief and took him for trial. 
• Honey is tasted sweet.
• You would like to be invited to the party.
• The grass is eaten by the cows.
• The parliament was dissolved by the President.
• Apple is liked by me. etcetera.

Remember, these sentences are already perfect in their active voice and forcefully changing them into the passive is like painting a red rose green.

There are basically 6 reasons (as far as I have noticed) why we use the passive voice in the English Language.

Let's see them here with an example each.

Reason# 1. When the subject is unknown.

Example: Some valuables were stolen from his house. (You don't know who did it)

Reason# 2. When the actor/subject is obvious. 

Example: The patient was treated well in time. ( You know who treats patients--obviously a doctor)

Reason# 3. When the subject/actor is unimportant and the action is more important.

Example:  The house was built in 1924. (Your concern is the age of the house, not the builder)

Reason# 4.  When you want to highlight the action/event and not the actor.

Example:  When I arrived home, everything was set well; the kitchen table, the candlelight, the drink on the table, and all that was expected for a birthday party.

Reason# 5. When you want to give readers/listeners a change in your communication style or bring a variety to it.

Example: My father came to find that the dinner was all set and only his arrival was eagerly awaited for the party to begin.

Reason# 6. When you intentionally want to hide the subject for security, controversy, or other issues, as a reporter,

Example: It is said that the election was withheld only for a minor reason. What do you have to say about this? (A reporter is taking an interview with the election commissioner.)

Warning: Do not try to change everything into the passive voice as it deforms the sentence and misinforms the readers/listeners.

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Note these indications well before you read the table below. 

V1=bare Infinitive; V2=Past Simple; V3=Past Participle; V4=Present Participle; V5=Present singular

Voice Transformation Table

SN	TENSE	ACTIVE	PASSIVE
1	Present Simple	He eats apples.	Apples are eaten by him.
2		We read books.	Books are read by us.
3		She plays cricket.	Cricket is played by her.
	Structure	Subject + V1/V5 + Object	Object + is/am/are +V3 + by + Agent
4	Present Progressive	They are reading stories.	Stories are being read by them.
5		She is telling jokes.	Jokes are being told by her.
6		I am cooking pasta.	Pasta is being cooked (by me).
	Structure	Subject + is/am/are + V4 + Object.	Object + is/am/are + being + V3+ by + Agent.
7	Present Perfect	He has told the truth.	The truth has been told by him.
8		We have solved the problems.	The problems have been solved (by us).
9		I have learnt the lesson.	The lesson has been learnt (by me).
	Structure	Subject + has/have +V3 + Object.	Object + has/have+ been + V3 + by + Agent.
10	Past Simple	He stole the secret.	The secret was stolen by him.
11		The police arrested the crook.	The crook was arrested (by the police).
12		Manul knew the answer.	The answer was known to Manul.
	Structure	Subject + V2+Object.	Object + was/were + V3 + by + Agent.
13	Past Progressive	The cat was chasing a mouse.	A mouse was being chased by the cat.
14		We were writing poems.	Poems were being written by us.
15		Kate was cleaning the room.	The room was being cleaned by Kate.
	Structure	Subject + was/were + V4 + Object.	Object + was/were + being +  V3 + by + Agent.
16	Past Perfect	He had confessed the secret.	The secret had been confessed by him.
17		We had heard the noise.	The noise had been heard by us.
18		The king had accepted his fault.	His fault had been accepted by the king.
	Structure	Subject + had + V3 + Object.	Object + had + been +  V3 + by + Agent.
19	Future Simple	I will confirm the time.	The time will be confirmed by me.
He		We shall overcome the problem.	The problem will be overcome by us.
21		He will have to answer us.	We will have to be answered by him.
	Structure	Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object.	Object + will + be +  V3 + by + Agent.
22	Future Perfect	He will have finished his test by 5:00 pm.	His test will have been finished by 5:00 pm.
23		We shall have cleaned the house in 30 minutes.	The house will have been cleaned in 30 minutes.
24		You will have married by 30.	You will have been married by 30.
	Structure	Subject + will/shall have + V3 + Object by time adverbial.	Object + will + have + been +  V3 + ( by + Agent ) + by + time adverbial.
25	Be going to..Future	He is going to tell the truth. I am going to cook fish today.	The truth is going to be told (by him.) Fish is going to be cooked today by me.
	Structure	S + is/am/are + going to +V1 + O	O + is/am/are + going to + be +V3  + by Agent

Now try to transform the voice in these sentences.

1. He hates being shouted at.
2. Raju is writing a letter.
3. I heard her sing a beautiful song.
4. Don't make a noise.
5. Where did you buy this book?
6. How are you going to solve the problem?
7. Can you swim across the river?
8. I saw him go out.
9. He never tells lies.
10. Do you know the secret?
11. They are felling trees to build a new airport.
12. We know Shakespeare.
13. He married a woman with three kids.
14. They built the house before the town was established.
15. Nobody informed me that the house was burning in flames.

The End