The document discusses three reasons for using the passive voice: 1) When the subject is unknown, 2) When the subject is unimportant or we don't want to mention it, and 3) When we want to focus on the object rather than the doer of the action. Some examples are provided for each case, such as "His car has been stolen" when the subject is unknown, "A person has been arrested for murder" when the subject is unimportant, and "It is a very good film" when focusing on the object rather than the doer.

1. Why do we use the passive
voice?
Passive Voice

2. Why do we use the passive voice?
1. We don’t know the subject
2. The subject is not important or we don’t
want to mention it
3. We want to talk about the object and not
the doer (subject) of the action

3. 1) We don’t know the subject
• I think this photo was taken in the USA.
• The shop in my street has been robbed.
• His car has been stolen.

4. 2) The subject is not important or we
don’t want to mention it
• She has been fired and is out of work now.
– (We know it is her boss who fired her.)
• A person has been arrested for the murder.
– (We know it is police who arrest people, so why mention it?)
• I have been told that you are constantly criticising me.
– (I don’t want to reveal who told me.)

5. 3) We want to talk about the object
and not the doer of the action
• It is a very good film, it was directed by Spielberg in 1980
and it was shot in Honolulu.
− I want to talk about the film, and not about who made it.
• She was raised by the Goldman family.
− I am talking about her, and not her family.