When do we use the passive voice?
The passive is used when the person responsible for an action is not known or is not important:
- The beer is forced at high pressure through a sieve.
- A similar process is used in some Arab countries.
- I was given a watch for my birthday.
The passive is also used when we want to avoid mentioning the person responsible for an action:
- You were asked to arrive at 8 a.m. (less ‘personal’ than: I asked you to arrive …)
- This essay must be handed in next Monday.
By is often used with the passive to show who was responsible for an action:
- Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming.
- The first landing on the moon was made in 1969 by the Americans.
- The research is being done by a team of European scientists.
