The passive voice of "repairing" refers to how an ongoing action of repair is expressed when the focus is on the object being repaired rather than the agent doing the repairing. When "repairing" signifies an action in the present continuous tense, its passive voice form is constructed using "being repaired."
Understanding the Passive Voice of 'Repairing'
The term "repairing" is a present participle, typically used in the active voice to describe an ongoing action, such as "Someone is repairing the car." To shift this to the passive voice, we highlight the item undergoing the repair.
What is Passive Voice?
The passive voice emphasizes the recipient of an action or the action itself, rather than the performer of the action. It's particularly useful when:
- The actor is unknown or unimportant.
- The object receiving the action is more significant.
- You want to maintain a more formal or objective tone.
Forming the Passive Voice for 'Repairing'
For an ongoing action like "repairing" (present continuous active), the passive voice follows a specific structure:
[Subject] + [form of 'to be' (am/is/are)] + being + [past participle of the verb (repaired)]
Let's look at examples:
| Active Voice (Present Continuous) | Passive Voice (Present Continuous) |
|---|---|
| I am repairing something. | Something is being repaired by me. |
| You are repairing the machine. | The machine is being repaired by you. |
| He/She/It is repairing the roof. | The roof is being repaired by him/her/it. |
| We are repairing the broken parts. | The broken parts are being repaired by us. |
| You are repairing the devices. | The devices are being repaired by you. |
| They are repairing the damaged infrastructure. | The damaged infrastructure is being repaired by them. |
Practical Examples and Insights
Here are some real-world applications of "being repaired" in the passive voice:
- Focus on the object: Instead of "The technician is repairing my laptop," you might say, "My laptop is being repaired." This emphasizes the laptop's status.
- Unknown agent: If you don't know who is doing the repair, or if it's irrelevant, the passive voice is ideal: "The road is being repaired, so expect delays."
- Formal reporting: In reports or official statements, the passive voice can sound more objective: "The structural integrity of the bridge is being repaired following the inspection."
Consider these scenarios:
- A car accident: Instead of "Mechanics are repairing the damaged vehicles," a news report might state, "The damaged vehicles are being repaired at a local garage."
- Building maintenance: Instead of "Workers are repairing the building's exterior," a notice might read, "The building's exterior is being repaired this week."
- Software update: Instead of "Our team is repairing the server," a system status message could be, "The server is being repaired; services will resume shortly."
When to Use (and Not Use) Passive Voice
While effective in specific contexts, overuse of the passive voice can make writing sound convoluted or evasive.
- Use it when:
- The action's recipient is more important than the performer.
- The performer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- You want to avoid assigning blame.
- You are writing in a scientific or technical style where objectivity is key.
- Avoid it when:
- You want to clearly identify the agent of the action.
- You want direct, concise, and vigorous prose.
- The active voice makes the sentence clearer and easier to understand.
For a deeper dive into active and passive voice, explore resources like the Purdue Online Writing Lab's guide on active versus passive voice.
