Passive Voice Structure in English

Discover how to form and use the passive voice in English sentences.

In a typical English sentence, the structure follows: Subject - Verb - Object (e.g., "I played football").

However, when you want to emphasize the object of the sentence, you use the passive voice. This shifts the focus to the object, making it the subject of the sentence. Here’s how you transform an active sentence into a passive one:

1. Identify the Object: Determine the object of the sentence (e.g., "football").
2. Reorder the Sentence: Place the object at the beginning of the sentence.
3. Change the Verb: Convert the main verb into its passive form (e.g., "played" becomes "was played").
4. Optional Subject: If you want to include the original subject, add "by" followed by the subject (e.g., "by me").

Example Transformation:

• Active: "I played football".
• Passive: "Football was played (by me)".

The passive structure is: Object - Verb - (by Subject)

Use the passive voice to highlight the action itself or the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. This is especially useful in formal writing, reports, and when the doer is unknown or irrelevant.