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==Etymology==

==Etymology==

:b : existing or occurring without being [[active]], open, or direct <passive [[support]]>

:b : existing or occurring without being [[active]], open, or direct <passive [[support]]>

*4 : of, relating to, or being [[business]] activity in which the investor does not actively [[participate]] in the generation of income

*4 : of, relating to, or being [[business]] activity in which the investor does not actively [[participate]] in the generation of income

==Description==

==Description==

'''Passive''' [[voice]] is a [[grammatical]] voice common in many of the world's [[languages]]. Passive is used in a clause whose subject [[expresses]] the theme  or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an [[action]] or has its state changed.  A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is called a passive sentence. In [[contrast]], a sentence in which the subject has the [[agent]] role is called an [[active]] sentence, and its verb is [[expressed]] in active voice. Many languages have both an active and a passive voice; this allows for greater [[flexibility]] in sentence construction, as either the [[semantic]] agent or patient may take the syntactic role of subject.

'''Passive''' [[voice]] is a [[grammatical]] voice common in many of the world's [[languages]]. Passive is used in a clause whose subject [[expresses]] the theme  or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an [[action]] or has its state changed.  A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is called a passive sentence. In [[contrast]], a sentence in which the subject has the [[agent]] role is called an [[active]] sentence, and its verb is [[expressed]] in active voice. Many languages have both an active and a passive voice; this allows for greater [[flexibility]] in sentence construction, as either the [[semantic]] agent or patient may take the syntactic role of subject.

The use of passive voice allows speakers to organize stretches of [[discourse]] by placing figures other than the [[agent]] in subject position. This may be used to foreground the patient, recipient, or other thematic role. Passive voice may also be useful when the semantic patient is the [[topic]] of on-going [[discussion]].

The use of passive voice allows speakers to organize stretches of [[discourse]] by placing figures other than the [[agent]] in subject position. This may be used to foreground the patient, recipient, or other thematic role. Passive voice may also be useful when the semantic patient is the [[topic]] of on-going [[discussion]].

<center>The wine is carried by the servant.<center>

<center>The wine is carried by the servant.</center>

<center>(Compare this sentence, which gives the same information in the active voice:<center>

<center>(Compare this sentence, which gives the same information in the active voice:</center>

<center>Servus vinum portat, The servant carries the wine.) </center>

<center>Servus vinum portat, The servant carries the wine.) </center>

[[Category: Linguistics]]

[[Category: Linguistics]]

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: General Reference]]