7. Active vs Passive, Formal vs Informal
Usually passive forms - adding the verb "to be" and putting the
active verb in the past- are used in more formal English and when the person
doing a thing is intended to be unclear.
For example "a question was asked" leaves the reader unsure who
asked the question. It can be very useful for formal purposes to look
impressive and authoritative. "It has been decided" seems much more impressive
than "I…