Syntax

Passive (1)

Form

 

Active

Passive

Present simple

They make Toyota cars in Japan.

Toyota cars are made in Japan.

Past simple

Columbus discovered America.

America was discovered by Columbus.

The passive allows the object of an active sentence to be used as the subject of a sentence.

The passive is used when:

-the agent (person or thing which does an action) is not known or isn't important.

-the speaker is more interested in the object of the active sentence.