The passive form


I'm new to this site (just made an account), I've been learning about the
passive form of verbs but I'm a bit confused by what the passive form actually
is... I tried googling but couldn't find an explanation that didn't use lots
of lingustic vocabulary. Am I right in thinking its similar in a way to how
you'd speak if you were to narrate something... (sorry I don't know many
grammatical terms).

For example:

ケーキが誰かに食べられた。"The cake was eaten by someone" would be how you'd speak if you
were narrating or reading something to somebody etc..

Basically just want an idea of what the passive form actually is...




I hope I get your question right.

**Why do people use passive voice?**

1) Because there is no alternative, the subject cannot act on its own.

> I was born in A.  
>  The cake was eaten by John.

When the baby is born other people do all the work. The baby is just born.  
The cake cannot do much of his own. Therefore other people act upon him. A
cake can _smell_ , however, so it is important to consider the scenario: In
the eating situation the cake cannot do much but being eaten.

2) To Emphasise. Sometimes both things can act and we want to emphasis one of
them. We can also write

> John ate the cake

Now the focus is on John. Does _he_ regret? What will _he_ eat next? But if
someone were to ask `"My cake! Where is my cake?"` the cake would be important
and we would answer: `The cake was eaten by John.`(Actually, we wouldn't
because people tend to avoid passive when having spoken conversation, but
logically we would.)

**Why do Japanese people use passive voice?**

L37 of Minna no Nihongo says (I don't have the english version, so no direct
quote)

> (P1)は(P2)に(passive form verb)

To express an action done by P2 towards P1 from P1s perspective. P1 becomes
the topic of the sentence

> (P1)は(P2)に(N)を(passive form verb)

To describe what P2 does with a possession of P1. In most cases P1 is annoyed
by that.

If the acting person is not important, you can make a sentence with passive
and leave out the actor as in

> フランスで 昔{むかし}の 日本の 絵{え}が 発｛はっ｝見｛けん｝されました。  
>  An early Japanese painting was discovered in France

There are more examples, but (as I see it) it boils down to 'emphasis on the
person/thing that is acted upon'.

