When might the passive voice be used to emphasize a point?

When might the passive voice be used to emphasize a point?

• A. When the action is more important than who performs it, the passive may be used for emphasis.
• B. When the subject performs the action, the passive is always used.
• C. The passive voice should never be used in formal writing.
• D. The active voice is never appropriate for emphasis.

Answer: (A)

The idea behind using the passive voice for emphasis is to shift the focus from who did the action to the action itself or its result. When what happened matters more than who performed it, putting the object of the action in the subject position foregrounds the point you want to make. For example, saying “The experiment was replicated” emphasizes the replication and its importance, rather than who did the replication. In cases where the actor is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, the passive helps keep the spotlight on the outcome. So, this option captures that use: the passive may be used when the action is more important than who performs it. Think about how this contrasts with other choices: the passive isn’t used only when the actor performs the action, and formal writing often employs the passive, especially to foreground results, methods, or processes. Also, active voice can be used for emphasis if you want to spotlight the actor, so it isn’t correct to say it’s never appropriate for emphasis.

The idea behind using the passive voice for emphasis is to shift the focus from who did the action to the action itself or its result. When what happened matters more than who performed it, putting the object of the action in the subject position foregrounds the point you want to make. For example, saying “The experiment was replicated” emphasizes the replication and its importance, rather than who did the replication. In cases where the actor is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, the passive helps keep the spotlight on the outcome.

So, this option captures that use: the passive may be used when the action is more important than who performs it.

Think about how this contrasts with other choices: the passive isn’t used only when the actor performs the action, and formal writing often employs the passive, especially to foreground results, methods, or processes. Also, active voice can be used for emphasis if you want to spotlight the actor, so it isn’t correct to say it’s never appropriate for emphasis.