Passive Voice & Information Focus

Active and passive

Active: The researchers collected the data.

Passive: The data was collected by the researchers.

The event is the same, but the focus changes.

How the passive is formed

Passive structure: form of be + past participle.

• is produced
• was published
• has been completed
• will be discussed

When the doer is unknown or unimportant

My bike was stolen last night.

The important information is the event, not necessarily who did it.

When the result or process matters

The samples were stored at a low temperature.

In factual or academic writing, the process may be more important than the individual performing it.

The by-phrase

Use by when the doer is relevant.

The novel was written by George Orwell.

Do not add a by-phrase automatically. If the doer is obvious or irrelevant, it can be omitted.

Information structure

Writers often place familiar information earlier and new or important information later.

Choosing active or passive voice can help control this flow.

The experiment produced three unexpected results.

Three unexpected results were produced by the experiment.

The better version depends on what the surrounding text is focusing on.

Active: The government introduced the policy in 2025.

Passive: The policy was introduced in 2025.

If the paragraph is about the policy rather than the government, the passive version may create a smoother focus.

1. Identify the action.
2. Decide what the sentence should focus on.
3. If the receiver or result is more important, consider the passive.
4. Choose the correct tense of be.
5. Use the past participle of the main verb.
6. Add a by-phrase only when the doer matters.

Incorrect: The report published yesterday.

Correct: The report was published yesterday.

Incorrect: The data was collect in May.

Correct: The data was collected in May.

Using the passive unnecessarily

Heavy passive use can make writing vague or difficult to read.

Use the passive when it improves focus, not simply because it sounds formal.

A paragraph is mainly about a scientific method, and the identity of the researchers is unimportant. Which sentence best fits that focus?

• A. The researchers heated the samples for ten minutes.
• B. The samples were heated for ten minutes.
• C. Someone heated the samples.
• D. Heating was something the researchers did.

Answer: B. The passive keeps the focus on the samples and the procedure.

• The passive uses be + past participle.
• Passive voice shifts focus towards the action, receiver or result.
• The doer can be omitted when it is unknown, obvious or unimportant.
• A by-phrase is used only when the doer is relevant.
• Choose active or passive voice according to information focus, not formality alone.