Formal register favors the passive
While casual French prefers 'on' or reflexive verbs, formal registers (scientific, legal, journalistic) use the passive voice to sound objective and professional.
How It Works
In formal French, the passive voice is not just a grammatical choice but a stylistic marker of the registre soutenu (formal register).
1. Function in Formal Writing:
Administrative and scientific texts use the passive to achieve thematization. This means placing the most important information—the result or the object—at the start of the sentence. It creates a sense of distance and impartiality.
2. The Agent (Par vs. De):
In these formal contexts, the agent (the person doing the action) is often omitted entirely. When included, it is usually introduced by par for physical actions. However, for verbs of state or emotion, formal French traditionally prefers de (e.g., Il est respecté de ses pairs), though 'par' is becoming more common in modern contexts.
3. The Pronominal Passive:
A common alternative to the 'être' passive, especially for inanimate subjects, is the middle voice using a reflexive verb. For example, instead of saying 'This is said,' formal French often uses Cela se dit or Cette expression s'emploie souvent.
4. Comparison with Casual Speech:
In everyday conversation, a French speaker would say on (e.g., On a fermé la route). In a formal report, this becomes La route a été fermée. Using the 'être' passive in casual speech can often sound stiff.
5. Grammatical Constraints:
Generally, you can only form a passive in French with transitive direct verbs. You cannot say 'I was told' (~~J'ai été dit~~) because dire takes an indirect object; you must use On m'a dit. However, in administrative French, impersonal constructions like Il a été procédé à... allow for rare exceptions where indirect verbs are used in a passive-like structure.
Examples (5)
- L'expérience a été répétée à trois reprises pour garantir la fiabilité des données.
The experiment was repeated three times to ensure the reliability of the data.
Word by Word: The experience has been repeated at three times for to guarantee the reliability of the data.
A typical scientific sentence where the focus is on the procedure, not the researcher.
- Il a été procédé à une vérification rigoureuse des comptes.
A rigorous audit of the accounts was carried out.
Word by Word: It has been proceeded to a verification rigorous of the accounts.
This uses an impersonal 'il' construction, which is extremely common in high-level administrative French.
- Les résultats du scrutin seront publiés dès demain matin.
The election results will be published starting tomorrow morning.
Word by Word: The results of the ballot will be published from tomorrow morning.
Journalistic style often uses the passive to report facts neutrally.
- Cette décision est contestée par la majorité des citoyens.
This decision is contested by the majority of citizens.
Word by Word: This decision is contested by the majority of the citizens.
The passive allows the 'decision' to be the theme (the first thing mentioned).
- Le suspect a été aperçu par plusieurs témoins.
The suspect was seen by several witnesses.
Word by Word: The suspect has been seen by several witnesses.
Common in police or legal reports to focus on the subject of the investigation.
Common Mistakes
Using the passive for verbs that take indirect objects (English interference).
J'ai été téléphoné par mon patron.Mon patron m'a téléphoné.In French, you cannot make the subject of a passive sentence out of an indirect object. Since it is 'téléphoner à quelqu'un', you must use the active voice. Note that 'pardonner' and 'obéir' are rare historical exceptions to this rule.
Using 'par' for verbs of state or feeling in formal writing.
Le professeur est aimé par tous ses élèves.Le professeur est aimé de tous ses élèves.While 'par' is increasingly accepted in modern usage, formal French traditionally prefers 'de' for verbs expressing a state, feeling, or habitual action.
Forgetting past participle agreement.
La loi a été voté hier.La loi a été votée hier.In the passive voice, the past participle must always agree in gender and number with the subject (La loi is feminine singular).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand why formal French favors the passive voice, a learner must first be proficient in forming the passive voice and understand how to omit the agent to achieve an impersonal tone. Additionally, knowledge of the pronoun 'on' is essential, as it serves as the informal counterpart for expressing impersonal actions in everyday speech.
- Omitting the agent in formal passive statements
Formal writing often uses the passive specifically to remove the agent, making this a key component of the formal register's preference for the passive.
Level 4 - onImpersonal and Informal on
The impersonal 'on' is the primary alternative to the passive voice in less formal French; understanding its function is necessary to contrast it with the formal passive.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Passive with etre + past participle
This provides the basic structural rules (être + past participle) used in formal writing.
Level 3 - se + VerbMiddle Voice with a Reflexive Verb
Another alternative to the passive, often used for general truths (e.g., 'Cela se dit').
Level 4 - de (complément d'agent)Marking the Agent of a Passive Stative Verb with De
Explains the specific formal requirement of using 'de' instead of 'par' for certain verbs.
Level 3 - Formal versus casual register contrast
Contextualizes why the passive is preferred in high-level writing but avoided in speech.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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