Understanding Passive Voice and Its Application: Challenges and Examples

When it comes to sentence structure in the English language, passive voice is often misunderstood. This article aims to clarify when and how to properly use passive voice, as well as explore why certain sentences should remain in active voice.

Active vs. Passive Voice: A Quick Review

In English, there are two primary sentence structures: active and passive voice. Active voice is characterized by the subject performing the action of the verb, while passive voice emphasizes the object of the action and de-emphasizes who performs the action.

Active Voice Structure

The active voice sentence structure typically follows this pattern:

Subject will present form of the verb object adverb

For example: The cat will catch the mouse quickly.

Passive Voice Construction

Passive voice construction involves the following elements:

Subject present form of the object from the active voice version of the sentence will be past participle form of the verb by object from the active voice version of the sentence adverb

For example: The mouse will be caught by the cat quickly.

Challenges in Using Passive Voice

Despite the potential disadvantages of using passive voice, it is important to recognize the circumstances where it is appropriate.

The Sentence in Question

Consider this sentence: English will be spoken by me well.

Steps to Transform to Passive Voice

To transform this sentence into passive voice, we follow the structure:

Subject (unchanged): English Present form of the object from the active voice: will be spoken by: by me

However, the sentence does not transform due to the nature of the verb.

Dealing with Non-Transitive Verbs

The sentence English will be spoken by me well contains the phrase “to be able to speak,” which is a non-transitive verb. Non-transitive verbs do not take a direct object and therefore cannot be used in passive voice constructions.

For example, in the sentence: I will be able to speak English well.

Here, “speak” is a non-transitive verb because it does not take an object.

Why Not to Use Passive Voice

When the subject of the sentence is the most important element (as in the given example), passive voice is not the best choice. Passive voice can make the sentence less engaging and more obscure.

Alternatives for the Given Sentence

Instead of using passive voice, consider these alternatives:

English is something I’ll be able to speak well. English will be spoken well by me.

These alternatives retain the focus on the subject's ability and actions while being more engaging and clear.

When to Use Passive Voice

Passive voice is often used to emphasize the action or the object of the action, particularly when the agent performing the action is unknown, unimportant, or irrelevant. For example:

The meeting will be attended by all stakeholders.

In this case, the emphasis is on the attendance of stakeholders and not on who will attend the meeting.

Conclusion

Passive voice can be a powerful tool in writing, but it is important to use it appropriately. Active voice is generally more engaging and clear, while passive voice should be reserved for specific circumstances where it serves a purpose.