passive
Describing someone who allows things to happen or accepts what others do without resistance or participation. It is also used in grammar to describe a sentence structure where the subject is the recipient of the action rather than the performer.
Exemples
3 sur 5He has a very passive personality and rarely voices his own opinions in a group.
He has a very submissive personality and rarely shares his own ideas in a group.
The board of directors criticized the CEO's passive approach to the declining market shares.
The board criticized the CEO's lack of action regarding the dropping market shares.
You shouldn't be so passive; if you want the promotion, you need to ask for it.
You shouldn't be so inactive; if you want the job level up, you must ask.
Synonymes
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of a 'passenger' in a car. A passenger is passive because they aren't the one driving or making decisions about where to turn.
Quiz rapide
The investor preferred _____ income from rental properties over the stress of day-trading stocks.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : passive
Exemples
He has a very passive personality and rarely voices his own opinions in a group.
everydayHe has a very submissive personality and rarely shares his own ideas in a group.
The board of directors criticized the CEO's passive approach to the declining market shares.
formalThe board criticized the CEO's lack of action regarding the dropping market shares.
You shouldn't be so passive; if you want the promotion, you need to ask for it.
informalYou shouldn't be so inactive; if you want the job level up, you must ask.
In academic writing, the passive voice is frequently employed to emphasize the results rather than the researcher.
academicIn scholarly writing, the passive grammatical structure is often used to focus on results instead of the person.
Generating passive income through investments is a key strategy for long-term financial stability.
businessCreating income without active daily work through investments is important for financial health.
Synonymes
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
passive-aggressive
displaying negative feelings indirectly rather than openly
passive spectator
someone who watches without getting involved
passive participation
being present without contributing actively
Souvent confondu avec
Patient means waiting calmly for something, while passive means failing to act when action is needed.
Apathetic implies a lack of interest or emotion, whereas passive describes a lack of action regardless of feeling.
Notes d'usage
The word 'passive' often carries a slightly negative connotation when describing character, implying a lack of energy or leadership. However, in technical fields like finance (passive income) or grammar (passive voice), it is a neutral, descriptive term.
Erreurs courantes
Learners often use the passive voice too much in English essays; while not grammatically 'wrong,' it can make writing feel heavy or indirect compared to the active voice.
Astuce mémo
Think of a 'passenger' in a car. A passenger is passive because they aren't the one driving or making decisions about where to turn.
Origine du mot
Derived from the Latin 'passivus', meaning 'capable of feeling or suffering', from 'pati' (to suffer/endure).
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
In many Western corporate cultures, being 'passive' is often viewed negatively as a lack of initiative, whereas 'proactive' behavior is highly rewarded.
Quiz rapide
The investor preferred _____ income from rental properties over the stress of day-trading stocks.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : passive
Grammaire lie
Vocabulaire associé
Mots lis
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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