From NCERTAsked by Anonymous from Frankfurt, Germany23 Oct 2026, 3:03 PM ISTUpdated
In one line
Passive voice can sometimes sound unclear or even rude, depending on how you use it.
Notice — Legal concept to make a party aware of a legal process affecting them A school notice often uses passive voice, e.g., 'The exam has been postponed.' Image: Wikipedia
The rule
Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence receives the action, not does it.
Formula: Subject + be + past participle + (by + agent)
Let's understand it simply
Imagine you broke a glass at home. If you say, "I broke the glass" (active voice), everyone knows who did it. But if you say, "The glass was broken" (passive voice), you hide who broke it. This can make things unclear. Sometimes, people use passive voice to avoid saying who did something, especially if it was bad.
Active vs Passive Voice
Active Voice
Passive Voice
Who does the action?
Subject (doer)
Subject (receiver)
Example
The teacher scolded the boy.
The boy was scolded by the teacher.
Focus
On the doer
On the action or receiver
How it works
In passive voice, the focus shifts from the person doing the action to the thing receiving it.
The doer (agent) is often left out or put at the end ("by someone").
This can hide important details, like who is responsible.
If you use passive voice too much, your sentence can feel cold or distant.
The story behind it
English teachers noticed that some sentences focus on the action, not the doer. They called this the "passive voice." Writers and speakers use it for different reasons: sometimes to be polite, sometimes to avoid blame.
Where you see it in real life
School notice: "The exam has been postponed." (Who postponed it? Not clear.)
Cricket match: "The match was won by India." (Focus is on the match, not the players.)
Kitchen: "The food was eaten." (Who ate it? Not clear.)
Crowded bus: "The window was broken." (Who broke it? Maybe nobody wants to say!)
Market: "All items are sold." (Who sold them? Not mentioned.)
Why it matters
Passive voice is useful when you don't know who did the action.
It is used in science, news, and formal writing to focus on results, not people.
But, overusing it can make your writing unclear or sound like you are hiding something.
In exams, you must know how to change active to passive and spot when it is used well or badly.
Common mistakes
Thinking passive voice is always wrong. It is not! It has its uses.
Using passive voice to avoid responsibility. This can sound rude or sneaky.
Forgetting to mention the doer when it is important for clarity.
Remember it
If you want to hide who did it, use passive. If you want to be clear, use active.
Check yourself
Why might 'The window was broken' sound unclear?
Because it does not say who broke the window.
Is passive voice always wrong?
No, it is useful when the doer is unknown or not important.
Give an example of passive voice from daily life.
'The food was eaten.' (Who ate it is not mentioned.)
Why can passive voice sound rude?
It can hide responsibility, making it seem like someone is avoiding blame.
Quick recap
Passive voice focuses on the action or receiver, not the doer.
It can make sentences unclear if you leave out who did the action.
Sometimes, passive voice is used to avoid blame or sound formal.
Overusing passive voice can sound rude or cold.
Use active voice for clarity, especially when the doer matters.
