⏰ When do we use Passive Voice?

We use the Passive Voice to:

• Emphasize the action or the object:
  • The book was read by many people.
  • The report was submitted on time.
• Focus on the result of an action:
  • The letter was sent yesterday.
  • The cake was eaten quickly.
• When the performer is unknown or not important:
  • The car was repaired last week.
  • A decision was made.
• Highlight what was done, not who did it:
  • The room was cleaned.
  • The results were announced.

Active vs. Passive Voice: The Core Difference

Let’s start with a clear comparison:

Active Voice:

Subject (who/what does the action) + Verb + Object (who/what receives the action)

• The chef (subject) cooked (verb) a delicious meal (object).
• Here, “the chef” is the focus; they are doing the action.

Passive Voice:

Here, “a delicious meal” is the focus; it’s what happened to the meal.

Object (from the active sentence, now the new subject) + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (optional: by + actor)

• A delicious meal (new subject) was cooked (form of “to be” + past participle) by the chef.

📌 Structure

Affirmative: Subject + to be + past participle + (by + agent)

Negative: Subject + to be + not + past participle

Question: Is/Was + subject + past participle + (by + agent)?

Explaining Cause or Reason: “due to,” “because of,” “as a result of”

When you want to explain why something happened in the passive voice, but the “why” isn’t an actor but rather a circumstance, event, or condition, you’ll use phrases like “due to,” “because of,” or “as a result of.”

Due to:

The flight was delayed due to bad weather. (The bad weather caused the delay.)

Many classes were canceled due to the teacher’s strike. (The strike was the reason for the cancellations.)

The project was postponed due to unexpected budget cuts. (Budget cuts caused the postponement.)

Because of:

The match was called off because of heavy rain. (Heavy rain was the reason.)

Thousands of people were displaced because of the sudden flood. (The flood caused the displacement.)

Her application was rejected because of missing documents. (Missing documents were the reason.)

As a result of:

The company’s profits were severely affected as a result of the economic downturn. (The downturn affected profits.)

Many trees were uprooted as a result of the strong winds. (Strong winds caused this.)

Significant progress has been made as a result of their collaborative efforts. (Their efforts led to the progress.)

Explaining Means or Method: “through,” “with,” “by means of”

Sometimes, you want to show how an action was carried out in the passive voice, but it wasn’t done by a person or specific entity, but through a method, tool, or process.

Through: (Often indicates a process, channel, or medium)

The message was delivered through an encrypted channel. (The channel was the means of delivery.)

New skills can be acquired through consistent practice. (Practice is the method of acquisition.)

The problem was solved through negotiation. (Negotiation was the method.)

With: (Often indicates a tool or material used)

The window was broken with a stone. (A stone was the tool.)

The wall was decorated with colorful murals. (Murals were the material/method of decoration.)

The lock was picked with a special instrument. (The instrument was the tool.)

By means of: (More formal; similar to “through,” emphasizing the method or instrumentality)

The information was disseminated by means of a public announcement. (The announcement was the means of dissemination.)

Access is gained to the facility by means of a biometric scanner. (The scanner is the means of gaining access.)

The heavy object was lifted by means of a hydraulic crane. (The crane was the means of lifting.)