Reasons to use the Passive Voice
The passive voice can make a sentence sound more natural. It is often sed in technical and
scientific wiring, but it can also be found in business writing. The passive voice is normally used in
the following circumstances:
1. to stress the importance of action:
The metal was vaporised in this experiment. Here, the action, rather than the agent (e.g. heat), is
important.
2. when the agent is not important or not known.
The chemical was heated until it began to turn red. The name of the person who conducts the
experiment is NOT important.
3. when the writer or speakers want to avoid emphasising the agent.
The glass broke. This is not really a passive structure, but it is a better way of saying ‘The glass
was broken’. In this example, the speaker may not wish to adit being responsible for breaking the
glass.