Passive Tense

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 3

Passive voice

The structure

Passive voice = object + be (in the correct tense) + past participle (+ by agent).

Example: "The cake is baked by the chef" (active: "The chef bakes the cake").

Why passive? 

Focus on Action or Object

When the action or its result is more important than who performed it. 

Example: "The Mona Lisa was painted in the 16th century."

Here, the painting and its historical significance are the focus, not necessarily the artist.

Agent is Unknown, Unimportant, or Obvious

If the doer of the action is:

Unknown: "The jewelry was stolen."

Unimportant: "The streets are cleaned every morning."

Obvious: "Taxes are collected annually."

Politeness and Formality

The passive is often used to be indirect or polite, especially in formal or professional settings.

Example: "A mistake was made in the report" (more tactful than "You made a mistake in the report").

People speak Spanish in many countries.

Students complete the homework every week.

They are building a new bridge.

The scientist discovered a new element.

They were repairing the car when I arrived.

The company will announce the results soon.