1. Overview: The passive voice in the past simple is used to focus on the action and the receiver of the action rather than the doer. It is formed using "was" or "were" + past participle of the verb. This structure is often used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
2. Cases of Usage:
- When the doer is unknown.
Example: The book was written in 1995.
- When the doer is not important.
Example: The window was broken.
-When you want to emphasize the action or the receiver.
Example: The project was completed on time.
3. Exceptions or Things to Pay Attention To: Not all sentences can be changed to passive voice. Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take a direct object) cannot be used in the passive. Example: He sleeps. (This cannot be changed to passive because "sleeps" has no object.)
4. Additional Notes: Common mistakes include forgetting to use the correct form of "to be" (was/were) and the past participle. Remember that in passive voice, the focus is on what happened, not who did it.
