Learn: you are about to investigate a situation. No one is accused. No names are mentioned. Your task is to notice how English reports what happened and why it sounds this way. Read and listen!
Scene 1: Before the bell
It is 7:42 a.m. You have arrived at school. Your footsteps echo as you walk toward the classroom. Then you hear it. Crunch. Glass.
Scene 2: The Broken Window
You stop, turn around and there it is! A large window near the entrance is shattered. Pieces of glass glitter on the floor like ice. Other students are gathering. Teachers are whispering.
Scene 3: The Announcement
The school bell rings. Students stop talking. The headmaster steps forward. His voice is calm, but firm. He says: “The school window was broken last night. No one saw what happened.”
Scene 4: Time to think.
You hear the announcement once. Then you repeat it in your head. "The school window was broken last night." Something feels… not accidental. The headmaster does not name anyone. He does not accuse anyone. He does not explain how it happened. Why does the headmaster speak this way?
Scene 5: Realisation.
The headmaster focuses on the event, not on a person. Why?
- No one saw what happened.
- There is no proof.
- The message must stay neutral.
This situation tells us that in official situations, the focus is on what happened, not on the person who did it. This is when passive voice is used.
Learn: study these rules of the usage of the passive voice.
Rule 1. When we do not know who did the action: if the doer is unknown, we focus on what happened.
The window was broken last night.
The window was broken last night.
Rule 2. When the doer is not important: the person does not matter, we focus on the result.
The school was built in 1950.
The school was built in 1950.
Rule 3. In official or formal situations: passive voice is common in announcements, reports, news, rules.
The decision was made yesterday.
The decision was made yesterday.
Rule 4. When we want to sound neutral: passive voice avoids blame and strong opinions.
The rules were changed.
The rules were changed.
Rule 5. When the focus is on the action or result: we want the listener to remember what happened, not who did it.
The match was cancelled because of rain.
The match was cancelled because of rain.
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