Introduction
The passive voice is a crucial grammar structure in English, especially in business and formal contexts. It allows you to emphasize the action or the object of a sentence rather than the subject. Understanding and using the passive voice can be beneficial for the TOEIC test, where you may encounter it in both the listening and reading sections.
Explanation
In the passive voice, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The structure is: [subject] + [form of "to be"] + [past participle] (+ "by" + [agent]).
Active: The manager approved the report.
Passive: The report was approved by the manager.
In the passive voice, the focus is on the report, not the manager. The agent ("by the manager") can be omitted if it is not important or already known.
Common mistakes
Incorrect verb form: Ensure the correct form of "to be" is used and the verb is in the past participle form.
Incorrect: The report is approve by the manager.
Correct: The report is approved by the manager.
Unnecessary use of the passive voice: Avoid using the passive voice when the active voice is clearer and more direct.
Unclear: A decision was made by the team.
Clearer: The team made a decision.
Tips for the TOEIC test
Look for sentences where the subject is not performing the action; this often indicates a passive construction.
In reading sections, pay attention to the context to understand who is performing the action, especially if the agent is omitted.
In listening sections, listen for the "be" verb and past participle to identify passive constructions.
Mini practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct passive form of the verbs in parentheses:
The new software update ________ (release) next month.
All employees ________ (inform) about the policy change yesterday.
The proposal ________ (review) by the board at the moment.
Answers:
The new software update will be released next month.
All employees were informed about the policy change yesterday.
The proposal is being reviewed by the board at the moment.