When progressing from intermediate to advanced English, your focus shifts from just being understood to choosing the perfect tone for every situation. One of the most powerful grammatical tools for professional, objective, and authoritative writing is the Impersonal Passive Voice.
While standard passive voice shifts the focus of a sentence, the impersonal passive voice takes it a step further by removing the “doer” entirely. This guide breaks down exactly how to form and use this advanced structure effectively.
What is the Impersonal Passive Voice?
To understand the impersonal passive voice, let us look at how it compares to the structures you already know:
- Active Voice: Focuses heavily on the doer of the action.
- Example: “The company launched a new product.”
- Passive Voice: Shifts the focus to the receiver of the action, but still mentions who did it at the end.
- Example: “A new product was launched by the company.”
- Impersonal Passive Voice: Entirely removes the doer from the equation because they are unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Example: “A new product was launched.”
The Formula
Constructing an impersonal passive sentence requires a simple, reliable formula:
Any Form of the Verb “To Be” + Past Participle (V3) of the Main Verb
💡 Example: “The rules were broken.”
- Verb to be: were (past plural)
- Past Participle: broken (from the verb break)
The 5 Main Uses of Impersonal Passive Voice
Mastering this structure means knowing exactly when to apply it. Here are the five primary reasons native speakers use the impersonal passive voice.
1. To Focus on the Action, Not the Doer
When the person or entity performing the action is already understood or irrelevant, the focus shifts entirely to the result.
- Active: The teacher provided feedback to each student.
- Impersonal Passive: Feedback was provided to each student.
- Active: The committee reached the decision after careful consideration.
- Impersonal Passive: The decision was reached after careful consideration.
2. To Express a General Truth
This is ideal for widespread beliefs, rumors, or generally accepted scientific and cultural facts.
- Active: People believe that laughter is contagious.
- Impersonal Passive: Laughter is believed to be contagious.
When expressing general truths, you will frequently use these advanced introductory patterns:
- It is known that…
- It is believed that…
- It is said that…
- It is rumored that…
3. To Avoid Assigning Blame (Diplomatic Language)
This is a crucial professional skill. In a workplace setting, you often need to address an issue without pointing fingers or naming the exact person who made a mistake.
- Active: The chief scientist made mistakes during the experiment.
- Impersonal Passive: Mistakes were made during the experiment. (Focuses on fixing the problem rather than blaming the scientist.)
- Active: Due to Sam’s foolish expenses, the couple exceeded their budget.
- Impersonal Passive: The budget was exceeded due to unforeseen expenses.
4. To Give Instructions and Rules
Commonly seen in corporate guidelines, safety handbooks, and formal requirements to make the text sound objective, professional, and natural.
- Active: Everyone must follow safety procedures at all times.
- Impersonal Passive: Safety procedures must be followed at all times.
- Active: You have to make your payments online.
- Impersonal Passive: Payments have to be made online.
5. To Announce Something Officially
Frequently used in news broadcasts, journalism, or corporate updates to convey an authoritative and objective tone.
- Active: We expect that temperatures will drop overnight.
- Impersonal Passive: It is expected that temperatures will drop overnight.
- Active: Volunteers will hold a fundraiser in support of local communities.
- Impersonal Passive: A fundraiser will be held in support of local communities.
Quick Comparison Summary
| Use Case | Active Voice (Personal) | Impersonal Passive Voice | Why Use It? |
| Result-Oriented | The team finished the report. | The report was finished. | The doer doesn’t matter. |
| General Truth | People say he is a genius. | It is said that he is a genius. | Speaks for a collective belief. |
| Workplace Diplomacy | You sent the wrong file. | The wrong file was sent. | Avoids direct conflict and blame. |
| Official Instructions | You must submit applications by Friday. | Applications must be submitted by Friday. | Sounds objective and legal. |
Which of these five uses do you think would be most helpful in your professional or academic writing?
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