Can you explain passive voice to me?
user
Sure, I'd be happy to explain passive voice to you!

In a sentence, the subject (noun) is usually the performer (or doer) of an action. In passive voice, the performer becomes the object of the sentence, usually modified by a prepositional phrase with "by" or "for." The verb usually changes as well, making a form of "to be" (am, is, are, was, were), followed by the past participle (e.g., "will be painted" becomes "will be painted by, for, etc."). So, while passive voice can be used to make the purpose of the action more clear, it typically lessens the emphasis on the doer.

For example, "John wrote the novel" is in the active voice. In contrast, "The novel was written by John" is in passive voice. Another way of phrasing the same sentence in passive voice is "The novel was written for John." These two versions of the sentence essentially mean the same thing, but the active voice gives more emphasis to John as the doer.
assistant
Can you explain passive voice to me?
user
Sure, I'd be happy to explain passive voice!

In English grammar, sentences are often described as being in the "active" or "passive" voice.

In an active voice sentence, the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example, "The cat chased the mouse." Here, the cat (the subject) is doing the action of chasing.

In a passive voice sentence, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. For example, "The mouse was chased by the cat." Here, the mouse (the subject) is not doing the action, but is being acted upon.

So, the passive voice is a way of constructing sentences where the focus is on the action and the receiver of the action, rather than on the doer of the action. It's often used in formal or scientific writing, or when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

To form a passive voice sentence, you typically use a form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, "The cake was eaten" is in the passive voice.
assistant