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Choosing between active and passive voice depending on context.
Practice: build the sentences →Active and passive voice present the same event from different grammatical perspectives.
Active voice normally presents the performer of the action as the subject, while passive voice presents the receiver or affected participant as the subject.
The company released the product.
Компания выпустила продукт.
Active voice: the performer (the company) is the subject.
The product was released by the company.
Продукт был выпущен компанией.
Passive voice: the receiver (the product) is the subject.
In an active sentence, the subject normally performs the action expressed by the verb.
For example, The company released the product. The company is the agent and the product is the object.
The company released the product.
Компания выпустила продукт.
Subject (the company) performs the action.
The chef cooked a delicious meal.
Шеф-повар приготовил вкусное блюдо.
Active: agent is the subject.
In a passive sentence, the subject normally represents the participant affected by the action.
For example, The product was released by the company. The product is now the grammatical subject.
The product was released by the company.
Продукт был выпущен компанией.
Passive: the product is the subject, affected by the action.
The meal was cooked by the chef.
Блюдо было приготовлено шеф-поваром.
Passive: meal is subject.
Active and passive voice can present different participants as the main topic of a sentence.
Compare The police arrested the suspect with The suspect was arrested by the police.
The police arrested the suspect.
Полиция арестовала подозреваемого.
Focus on police (agent).
The suspect was arrested by the police.
Подозреваемый был арестован полицией.
Focus on suspect (receiver).
Passive voice is useful when the person or thing responsible for an action is unknown.
For example, My bicycle was stolen. The identity of the person who stole it is not known.
My bicycle was stolen.
Мой велосипед украли.
Agent unknown: passive is natural.
The window was broken during the night.
Окно разбили ночью.
Agent unknown.
Passive voice is often used when the agent can be inferred easily from the context.
For example, The suspect was arrested. The people who normally make arrests are understood.
Passive voice is useful when the action or result matters more than who performed it.
For example, The road was repaired last week focuses on the road and the repair rather than the workers.
The road was repaired last week.
Дорогу отремонтировали на прошлой неделе.
Focus on road and repair, not workers.
The package was delivered on time.
Посылку доставили вовремя.
Focus on delivery, not courier.
Passive voice is preferred when the person or thing affected by the action is the main topic of the discourse.
For example, The new bridge was opened yesterday continues naturally from a discussion about the bridge.
The new bridge was opened yesterday.
Новый мост был открыт вчера.
Bridge (receiver) is the topic.
The award was presented to the young scientist.
Награда была вручена молодому учёному.
Focus on award and recipient.
Passive voice can keep the same participant as the topic across several sentences.
For example, The company launched a new product. The product was developed in-house. The product was tested for six months.
The company launched a new product. The product was developed in-house. The product was tested for six months.
Компания выпустила новый продукт. Продукт был разработан внутри компании. Продукт тестировался шесть месяцев.
Passive keeps "the product" as topic.
The city built a new stadium. The stadium was designed by a famous architect. The stadium was opened last year.
Город построил новый стадион. Стадион был спроектирован известным архитектором. Стадион был открыт в прошлом году.
Topic continuity with "the stadium".
Voice choice can organize known and new information in a way that makes a sentence easier to process.
Passive voice is often useful when the affected participant is already established as the topic and the new information concerns what happened to it.
The manuscript was discovered in a monastery. It was later published.
Рукопись была обнаружена в монастыре. Позже она была опубликована.
Passive presents new info about established topic.
The suspect was seen near the scene. He was later arrested.
Подозреваемого видели рядом с местом преступления. Позже его арестовали.
Passive maintains topic.
Passive voice can place longer or more informative material later in the sentence.
For example, The decision was announced by a committee consisting of representatives from several departments can be easier to process than the equivalent active construction.
The decision was announced by a committee consisting of representatives from several departments.
Решение было объявлено комитетом, состоящим из представителей нескольких департаментов.
Passive places long agent phrase at the end.
The proposal was rejected by a group of experts who had studied the issue for months.
Предложение было отклонено группой экспертов, изучавших вопрос месяцами.
End-weight: long agent phrase at end.
Active voice is often preferred when the writer wants to make responsibility and agency explicit.
For example, The manager approved the request is more direct about who made the decision than The request was approved.
The manager approved the request.
Менеджер одобрил запрос.
Active makes responsibility explicit.
The request was approved.
Запрос был одобрен.
Passive leaves agent unmentioned.
Passive voice can present an event without foregrounding the person responsible for it.
This can be useful when the process or result is more relevant than the individual actor.
The samples were collected and analyzed.
Образцы были собраны и проанализированы.
Neutral: process is important.
The results were published yesterday.
Результаты были опубликованы вчера.
Focus on results, not publisher.
Passive constructions are common in scientific and technical writing when procedures and results are the main focus.
For example, The samples were collected and The solution was heated to 80°C.
The solution was heated to 80°C.
Раствор был нагрет до 80°C.
Scientific procedure: agent omitted.
The samples were examined under a microscope.
Образцы были исследованы под микроскопом.
Procedure focus.
Active voice is also common in modern academic and scientific writing when the researcher or author needs to make responsibility clear.
For example, We analyzed the samples is often clearer and more direct than The samples were analyzed.
We analyzed the samples.
Мы проанализировали образцы.
Active makes responsibility clear.
The team conducted the experiment.
Команда провела эксперимент.
Active for directness.
Passive constructions are common in formal, administrative, legal, and official language.
They can focus attention on procedures, decisions, requirements, and outcomes rather than individuals.
The decision was made by the committee.
Решение было принято комитетом.
Formal: passive focuses on decision.
The application must be submitted by Friday.
Заявка должна быть подана к пятнице.
Official requirement.
Passive voice should not be used simply because it sounds formal.
When the agent is important and the active sentence is clear and concise, active voice is often preferable.
The manager approved the request.
Менеджер одобрил запрос.
Active is clearer when agent is important.
The request was approved.
Запрос был одобрен.
Passive less direct if agent is relevant.
Passive constructions can make sentences unnecessarily complicated when several passive phrases are stacked together.
Replacing some passive constructions with active ones can improve clarity and readability.
The report was written by the team, which had been formed by the director, who had been appointed by the board.
Отчёт был написан командой, которая была сформирована директором, который был назначен советом.
Multiple passives can be confusing.
The board appointed the director, who formed the team that wrote the report.
Совет назначил директора, который сформировал команду, написавшую отчёт.
Active version is clearer.
The passive can background the agent, which may make responsibility less explicit.
For example, Mistakes were made does not identify who made them, whereas The team made several mistakes explicitly assigns responsibility.
Mistakes were made.
Были допущены ошибки.
Passive backgrounds responsibility.
The team made several mistakes.
Команда допустила несколько ошибок.
Active assigns responsibility.
Passive constructions can sometimes make statements less direct or less personally confrontational.
For example, A mistake was made may sound less confrontational than You made a mistake.
A mistake was made.
Была допущена ошибка.
Less confrontational than "You made a mistake".
You made a mistake.
Ты совершил ошибку.
Direct and confrontational.
Voice choice in narratives can determine which participant remains prominent from sentence to sentence.
Active voice often foregrounds the actor, while passive voice can keep attention on the affected participant.
The hero defeated the dragon.
Герой победил дракона.
Active foregrounds hero.
The dragon was defeated by the hero.
Дракон был побеждён героем.
Passive keeps dragon as topic.
Instructions may use active or passive voice depending on whether the person performing the action is important.
Compare Press the button with The button should be pressed after the light turns green.
Press the button.
Нажмите кнопку.
Active instruction: user is agent.
The button should be pressed after the light turns green.
Кнопку следует нажать после того, как загорится зелёный свет.
Passive: focus on button/process.
Voice choice can interact with obligation, possibility, recommendation, and other modal meanings.
Compare You must complete the form with The form must be completed.
You must complete the form.
Вы должны заполнить форму.
Active modal obligation.
The form must be completed.
Форма должна быть заполнена.
Passive modal obligation.
Choose active or passive according to topic, information structure, agent importance, register, and communicative purpose.
The passive is not inherently more formal or better; the best choice depends on what the sentence needs to emphasize.
The police arrested the suspect.
Полиция арестовала подозреваемого.
Active: agent is important.
The suspect was arrested.
Подозреваемый был арестован.
Passive: focus on suspect/result.
Choose active and passive voice according to meaning and information structure rather than applying a fixed rule.
Common mistakes include overusing passive constructions, using passive when no useful object is available, unnecessarily naming an obvious agent, and choosing passive simply because it appears more formal.
The road was repaired by workers.
Дорога была отремонтирована рабочими.
Unnecessary agent "workers" is obvious.
The decision was made by the committee and the plan was approved by the board and the results were announced by the director.
Решение было принято комитетом, план был одобрен советом, а результаты были объявлены директором.
Overuse of passive makes sentence heavy.
The window was broken.
Окно было разбито.
Correct passive: agent unknown.