Passive Voice - Business English

Use the passive voice when the action matters more than who did it, when you don't know who did it, or when you want to sound neutral and tactful. You form it with the verb "be" in the right tense plus the past participle of the main verb. The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of a passive one: "Our team sent the report" becomes "The report was sent." If you need to name the doer, add it with "by": "The contract was reviewed by the legal team." In professional writing the passive is common because it shifts focus onto the work and softens responsibility. For example, "The meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday" sounds smoother than naming whoever changed it, and "Payment was not received by the due date" reports a problem without pointing fingers. You also see it constantly in processes and reports: "The samples are tested before shipping." The most common pitfall is overusing it until your writing feels vague and lifeless. If the doer is important and known, prefer the active voice: "I've attached the invoice" is clearer and warmer than "The invoice has been attached." Another frequent error is forgetting the past participle and using the base form or past simple instead, as in the incorrect "The order was send." Always use the third form: sent, given, written, made.