1. When we do NOT know who the agent (or doer) is
For
much of human history, animals have been captured and put in zoos for our entertainment.
2. When it is obvious to the listener or reader who the agent is
I recently quit my job because I was being paid
less than my less experienced, male colleagues.
3. when it is not important to know who the agent is
What a lot of people in western countries don’t realize is that most of their fancy clothes are made overseas in rural and poor areas.
4. when people in general are the agents
Nowadays, most movies and TV shows can be streamed online.
Note that
when using the passive voice, we can
leave out the agent or doer, just like we did
in all of the examples above, or we can place the agent in a prepositional phrase (by + agent) when the agent is important:
One of the best gifts that I’ve ever received was a necklace that was given to me by my grandmother.
What tenses can be used in the passive voice?
The passive can be used with all tenses. The table below gives examples of the most common forms in the passive:
