Passive voice in a sentence can be identified by several key indicators:

1. Verb Form: Look for a form of the verb “to be” (is, am, are, was, were, been) followed by a past participle. For example, “The cake was baked by Mary.” In contrast, active voice would be “Mary baked the cake.”

2. Emphasis on the Receiver of the Action: In passive voice, the focus is on the recipient of the action rather than the doer. The one receiving the action typically comes before the verb, whereas in active voice the doer comes first.

3. Omission of the Doer: The person or thing performing the action may be omitted or mentioned in a different part of the sentence, adding to the passive construction. For instance, “Mistakes were made” without specifying who made the mistakes.

4. Use of Prepositions: The presence of prepositions like “by” can often indicate passive voice, linking the doer of the action without making them the subject of the sentence.

Common words that may signal a sentence is in passive voice include: “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “being,” “by,” and variations of the verb “to be.”

Understanding the distinctive features of passive voice helps in confidently identifying it in sentences. By paying attention to verb forms, sentence structure, emphasis, and the presence of certain words, you can accurately detect when passive voice