| File info: The impersonal passive voice, also known as the "title impersonal passive," is a grammatical construction used in English to emphasize the action or event rather than the specific subject performing that action. In this form, the subject of the sentence is either omitted or replaced with a non-specific pronoun, such as "it" or "there." The main focus is on the action itself or the result of the action, rather than the agent responsible for it.
The structure of the title impersonal passive typically follows the pattern: "It + is/was + past participle + that-clause." For example:
1. It is said that...
1. It was reported that...
1. It is believed that...
1. It has been observed that...
By using the title impersonal passive, the speaker or writer can present information in a neutral and objective manner, without explicitly mentioning who performed the action. This construction is often employed in academic or formal writing, scientific reports, news articles, and other contexts where the emphasis is on the information itself rather than the individuals involved.
It's worth noting that the title impersonal passive can sometimes be considered less direct or less engaging than other sentence structures, as it removes the active agent from the sentence. However, it can be a useful tool for conveying information in an objective and detached manner when necessary. |
