Sometimes, who did it matters less than what happened. "The apple was eaten."
Le chat mange la souris.
(The cat eats the mouse)La souris est mangée par le chat.
(The mouse is eaten by the cat)A news anchor reports the events.
Le président a été élu hier soir par une large majorité.
(The president was elected last night by a large majority.)Une nouvelle loi sera votée demain par le parlement.
(A new law will be voted on tomorrow by the parliament.)Cette décision est critiquée par l'opposition.
(This decision is criticized by the opposition.)The Passive Voice (La Voix Passive) is used extensively in French bureaucracy and administration to sound objective and detached. "Votre demande a été rejetée" (Your request was rejected) sounds less personal than "Nous avons rejeté votre demande" (We rejected your request).
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