Passive Voice

The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or process, rather than on who is performing it. The identity of the doer (the agent) may be unknown or irrelevant. This type of construction is particularly useful in formal, academic, or instructional contexts.

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A. Zastosowanie Strony Biernej

We use the passive voice in the following situations:

1. When the artist is unknown::

   • Example: My car was stolen yesterday.(We don't know who stole it.)

2. When the performer is irrelevant::

   • Example: This bag is made of plastic.(It doesn't matter who made it.)

3. In formal usage (academic or professional contexts):

   • Example: The issue has been neglected by many.(The emphasis is on the problem, not on the person who neglected it.)

4. To describe a process:

   • Example: The beer is distilled in copper stills twice to obtain what we call a tall wine.(The emphasis is on the distillation process.)

5. When reporting or giving instructions:

   • Example: Masks must be worn at all times. or Three vehicles were stopped by the police.(The emphasis is on the action, not the person who performed it.)

B. Structure of the Passive Voice

To form the passive voice, we need:

1. Odpowiedniej verb forms „to be” (depending on the tense of the action).
2. The past participle of the verb expressing the action.

Example:
Active time: They make the cars in Germany.
Passive tense: The cars are made in Germany.

The recipient of the action in the active voice (i.e. the person or object affected) becomes the subject in the passive voice.

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