Using PASSIVE in English to avoid responsibility

Summary

In this lesson, Emma explains the differences between active and passive voice, focusing on how they are used in business, government, and writing. The active voice highlights the subject performing the action, while the passive voice shifts focus to the action itself, often obscuring who performed it. Examples from business and government illustrate how the passive voice is used to avoid responsibility or blame. Emma emphasizes that active voice is preferred in essays for its clarity, whereas passive voice is more commonly used in formal contexts, like news reports and corporate communications, to avoid accountability.

Takeaways

• 😀 Active voice emphasizes the subject performing the action, e.g., 'I ate cake.'
• 😀 Passive voice emphasizes the object being acted upon, e.g., 'The cake was eaten.'
• 😀 In active voice, the subject performs the action, whereas in passive voice, the action happens to the subject without specifying the doer.
• 😀 The passive voice uses a form of 'to be' (e.g., was, is, will be) combined with the past participle of the verb.
• 😀 The passive voice is commonly used when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally hidden.
• 😀 Businesses and governments often use passive voice to avoid taking responsibility for actions or events.
• 😀 In business communication, passive voice can be used to soften messages that might anger people, e.g., 'Your electricity will be turned off.'
• 😀 Passive voice can be used in journalism, especially when the identity of the person performing an action, like committing a crime, is unknown.
• 😀 Active voice is preferred in academic writing (essays, assignments) because it is stronger, clearer, and more direct.
• 😀 Passive voice is more common in contexts where avoiding blame or responsibility is desired, such as politics and business.
• 😀 The passive voice formula: subject + 'to be' (was, is, etc.) + past participle (e.g., 'was eaten').

Q & A

What is the main difference between the active and passive voice?

In the active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g., 'I ate cake'). In the passive voice, the subject receives the action, and the doer of the action may be omitted (e.g., 'The cake was eaten').

When is the active voice preferred over the passive voice?

The active voice is generally preferred in essays and regular writing because it is direct, strong, and clear about who is performing the action.

Why do governments and businesses often use the passive voice?

Governments and businesses use the passive voice to avoid taking responsibility for actions, as it removes the subject performing the action, making it less clear who is accountable.

How do you form a sentence in the passive voice?

To form a passive voice sentence, you take the object of the action (e.g., 'cake'), add the appropriate form of 'to be' (e.g., 'was'), and then use the past participle of the verb (e.g., 'eaten').

Can the passive voice be used in different tenses?

Yes, the passive voice can be used with various tenses, such as the present perfect or future tense, as long as it includes the appropriate form of 'to be' and the past participle.

Why might a business say, 'Your electricity will be turned off' instead of 'We will turn off your electricity'?

A business may use the passive voice ('Your electricity will be turned off') to avoid the direct responsibility of 'we,' which could lead to negative customer reactions.

What is the effect of using the passive voice in a sentence?

The passive voice shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the action itself or the recipient of the action, which can sometimes make the sentence less clear or direct.

How do governments typically avoid taking responsibility in their statements?

Governments often use the passive voice to avoid saying who performed an action, such as in phrases like 'A mistake was made' instead of 'I made a mistake,' to avoid blame.

Why do news outlets sometimes use the passive voice?

News outlets use the passive voice when the doer of the action is unknown, such as in cases of crimes where the perpetrator hasn't been identified, allowing the focus to be on the event itself.

Is the passive voice always less effective than the active voice?

While the active voice is usually clearer and stronger, the passive voice can be useful when the focus needs to be on the action or when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.