Read the pairs of sentences and answer the questions.
A: Technology companies collect huge amounts of personal data.
B: Huge amounts of personal data are collected by technology companies.
Which sentence focuses more on the action?
Which sentence focuses more on the company?
Which sentence is passive?
A: AI systems could replace many repetitive jobs.
B: Many repetitive jobs could be replaced by AI systems.
Which sentence sounds more formal?
Which sentence emphasises the jobs?
Which sentence uses a modal passive?
A: Algorithms are changing human behaviour online.
B: Human behaviour is being changed by algorithms online.
Which sentence focuses on the result of the action?
Which sentence uses the present continuous passive?
Why might a speaker choose the passive here?
Complete the rule:
The passive voice is often used when the action, process, or result is more important than the __ doing the action.
We often use the passive voice in spoken English when:
- The action is more important than the person
Personal data is collected every day.
The important idea is the collection of data, not exactly who collects it. - We do not know who did the action
My phone was stolen last year.
The speaker may not know who stole it. - The person is obvious or not necessary
New AI tools are being developed constantly.
It is obvious that technology companies and engineers develop them. - We want to sound more formal, objective, or impersonal
Human behaviour is influenced by algorithms.
This sounds more academic and formal than:
Algorithms influence human behaviour. - We want to focus on processes, systems, or results
Millions of jobs could be automated.
The focus is on the change happening in society.
Common Passive Structures
Tense: Present simple passive
Example: Data is collected online.
Tense: Present continuous passive
Example: Workers are being monitored.
Tense: Past simple passive
Example: The system was introduced last year.
Tense: Modal passive
Example: Jobs could be replaced.
Tense: Future passive
Example: More tasks will be automated.
Exercise 1
Read the statements and select the reason the passive voice may have been used.
Exercise 2
Exercise 3