Are there times when passive voice is better?

In one line

The rule

Passive voice is used when the object of an action becomes the subject of the sentence, and the doer is less important or unknown.

Let's understand it simply

Imagine you broke a glass at home. If you say, "I broke the glass," you use active voice. But if you want to hide who did it, you say, "The glass was broken." Here, the focus is on the glass, not on you. That's passive voice. It is like when you see a cricket ball hit a window, and you say, "The window was broken by the ball," instead of naming who hit the ball.

How it works

1. Decide what you want to focus on: the doer or the receiver.
2. If the receiver (object) is more important, make it the subject.
3. Use a form of "to be" (is, was, were, etc.) with the past participle (broken, eaten, done).
4. Add "by" and the doer if needed, or leave it out if not important.

The story behind it

Passive voice has been used in English for centuries. It became popular in scientific writing, where the focus is on experiments and results, not the scientist. For example, "The experiment was conducted" sounds more formal and neutral than "We conducted the experiment."

Where you see it in real life

• News reports: "A new bridge was opened yesterday." (Who opened it is not important.)
• Science experiments: "The solution was heated to 80°C." (Focus on what happened, not who did it.)
• Instructions: "The rice should be washed before cooking." (Anyone can do it.)
• Crime reports: "The jewels were stolen." (The thief is unknown.)
• Official notices: "Fees must be paid by 10th June." (Who pays is understood.)

Why it matters

• Makes writing more formal and polite, useful in reports and official letters.
• Helps when the doer is unknown or not important.
• Used in exams, especially in transformation of sentences.
• Needed for clear instructions and scientific writing.

Common mistakes

• Using passive voice everywhere makes writing dull. Use it only when needed.
• Forgetting to use the correct form of "to be" (like "is," "was").
• Leaving out the doer when it is important to know who did the action.

Remember it

If you want to hide or don't know the doer, or care more about the action, use passive voice.