3 uses of Passive voice for Effective Writing

Learn how to use passive voice smartly in everyday English conversations

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to talk about a mistake—but didn’t want to sound rude?

For example, saying “You didn’t send the report” can sound like blaming someone.
But “The report wasn’t sent” sounds softer and more professional.

That’s where passive voice helps.

Many English learners know the rule of passive voice but don’t know when to use it in real-life situations.
This blog will show you three practical uses of passive voice—especially helpful in office communication and polite conversations.

What Is Passive Voice in English?

Let’s understand it with a simple example:

• Active voice: “The dog chased the cat.”
  (The subject “dog” is doing the action.)
• Passive voice: “The cat was chased by the dog.”
  (The subject “cat” is receiving the action.)

In short:

• In active voice, the focus is on who does the action.
• In passive voice, the focus is on what happens or who receives the action.

Active voice is usually direct and clear. But in some situations, passive voice is more useful—especially when you want to sound professional or polite.

How to Use Passive Voice in English – 3 Practical Situations

1. When You Want to Talk About the Mistake—Not the Person

Imagine you’re giving feedback to someone at work:

• You made a mistake in this report.
• You didn’t deliver the shipment yesterday.
• You forgot to call the client.

These may be true, but they sound like blame. And nobody likes being blamed.

Now, look at the passive voice examples:

• A mistake was made in this report.
• The shipment wasn’t delivered yesterday.
• The client hasn’t been called yet.

These sound more polite and less personal. You’re talking about the problem—without pointing fingers. This is a smart way to give feedback at work without hurting anyone’s feelings.

2. When the Action Is More Important Than the Person

Sometimes the person doing the action is not important. What matters is what happened.

For example:

• The government introduced a new law.
• Our MD suggested a new policy.
• The technician fixed the AC.

But if the focus is on the law, the policy, or the repair—then passive voice is better:

• A new law was introduced last year.
• A new policy was suggested.
• The AC was repaired yesterday.

This helps you highlight the result, not the person behind it.

3. When You Don’t Know Who Did the Action

Sometimes you don’t know who did something. You still want to talk about it. Passive voice helps in these cases:

• His phone was stolen.
• This building was attacked yesterday.
• The paper was leaked last week.

You don’t need to guess or mention the doer. Just share the information.

When Not to Use Passive Voice

Passive voice is helpful—but don’t use it everywhere.

Too much passive voice can make your writing sound dull or confusing. So use it when:

✅ You want to be polite
✅ The action matters more than the doer
✅ You don’t know who did the action

In most other cases, active voice is better because it’s clearer and more energetic.

Final Thoughts on Passive Voice Usage

Passive voice is not just a grammar topic—it’s a real-life communication tool.
When used correctly, it helps you speak clearly and politely in everyday conversations, especially at work.

Let’s make your English sound natural, confident, and professional—one simple step at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is passive voice in simple words?

Passive voice is when the focus is on the action or result, not the person doing it.
Example: “The report was sent.”

When should I use passive voice in writing?

Use passive voice when you want to be polite, highlight the result, or when the person doing the action isn’t known or important.

Is passive voice good for professional communication?

Yes. Passive voice is often used in business English to avoid blame and to sound polite and professional.

Can I use passive voice in English speaking too?

Absolutely. Passive voice is common in spoken English, especially in formal or polite conversations.

Meet the Author – Yogesh

✅ A Qualified Chartered Accountant helping professionals and jobseekers speak English confidently for over 15 years
🏢 Founder of Urcareer, one of the most trusted institutes on Google for learning English-speaking skills
📚 Author of 7 books, including 2 bestsellers: Learn English Through Hindi-English Translation and English Speaking Practice
🎓 Creator of the English Speaking Mastery Course for Beginners, with 7,200+ students from over 110 countries
💬 His language tips and answers have received over 1.5 million views on Quora