Passive Voice

    OCR
    GCSE

    The passive voice functions as a high-level syntactic device used to shift emphasis from the agent to the patient, particularly within formal registers, journalistic reporting, and historical accounts. Mastery necessitates the discrimination between the 'true' passive (ser + participle), the resultant state (estar + participle), and the frequently preferred pasiva refleja (se + verb). Candidates must demonstrate precise agreement of past participles with subjects in gender and number, avoiding the common error of overusing the ser passive where a reflexive construction is idiomatically superior.

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Journalism and Media - Reporting events where the agent is unknown or secondary (e.g., 'Se firmó el acuerdo', 'Fueron detenidos').
    Historical Narratives - Describing past events with formal gravity and emphasis on the action (e.g., 'América fue descubierta por...').
    Public Administration and Rules - Expressing impersonal prohibitions and instructions (e.g., 'Se prohíbe el paso', 'Se habla español').

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