Using passive voice
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Passive voice in context | page 4 of 4 |
Focusing on the agent
The choice between active and passive voice allows us to place new or important information at the end of a clause where it will naturally receive emphasis.
The following extract from a report of a court case contains a number of passive clauses:
It was the Crown's case that the two robberies occurred in April 1991 in the New Territories. On each occasion, the occupants were threatened by a gang with knives and a pistol-like object. Their homes were ransacked and cash and valuables were taken.
In the second holdup, a woman was raped by Yee. (SCMP 9/10/92)
This extract is about what happened to the victims of the crimes, so the appropriate
voice is used to maintain the victims (the occupants, their homes, a woman) as
topics. However, the identification of those who committed the crimes is important to the
Crown's case, and so the agents 
(a gang
with knives and a pistol-like object, Yee) are included and, as passive voice
is used, they receive some emphasis by occurring at the end of the clause 
.
For further information about cases in which agents are typically omitted or included,
see
Using passive voice: Omitting or including the agent.
For further information about getting important information in the right place, see Using passive voice: What is passive voice for? (p 3).
If you would like to see a teaching activity for Secondary 3 which gives students
practice in omitting the agent, click on 
DESCRIBING OBJECTS.
Focusing on the agent
