Impersonal Passive Voice for Academic

In English, we often say "It is said that..." or "Books are sold." In Portuguese, we use the word se. This little word is very powerful. It turns a normal sentence into a passive one. You don't say "I analyzed the data." You say "The data was analyzed." But you use a specific structure. You use the verb plus se. It is called the voz passiva sintética. It is short and elegant. It is much more common in writing than the long version. The long version uses ser plus a participle. That is the voz passiva analítica. The se version is the favorite of academics. It keeps your sentences tight. It keeps your reader focused on the results. Think of it like a grammar invisibility cloak for your ego.

1. 1Start with your main verb in the third person.
2. 2Add the particle se immediately after the verb.
3. 3Check if there is a direct object.
4. 4If the object is singular, keep the verb singular. Observa-se um aumento.
5. 5If the object is plural, the verb must become plural. Observam-se aumentos.
6. 6Use a hyphen to connect them: verb-se.
7. 7If there is a negative word like não, the se moves before the verb. Não se observa nada.
8. 8If you use a preposition like de, the verb stays singular forever. Trata-se de problemas.

Use it when the "who" doesn't matter. Use it in your university thesis. It is perfect for the methodology section. Use it when writing a formal news article. It works great in business reports. Use it to describe a process. For example, "The samples are collected." In Portuguese: Coletam-se as amostras. It makes you sound like an expert. It shows you are being objective. You are letting the data speak for itself. It is also useful in legal documents. Or when you want to avoid taking personal blame. "Mistakes were made" is the classic move. In Portuguese: Cometeram-se erros. Yes, even politicians love this grammar point for a reason!

Don't use it at a party. Don't use it when texting your mom. It will sound very strange. Imagine saying Comeu-se a pizza to your roommate. They will think you are a robot. Avoid it in casual emails. It can feel cold or distant. Don't use it when you want to take credit. If you won an award, say Eu ganhei. Don't say Ganhou-se o prêmio. It sounds like you don't care. It is a tool for formal contexts. Keep it in your academic toolbox. Use it when you need to be serious. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It only turns green in formal zones.

The biggest mistake is the plural agreement. Many people forget to change the verb. They say Aluga-se casas. This is wrong. It should be Alugam-se casas. Why? Because "houses" is the subject. The houses are being rented. Another mistake is using it with prepositions. If you say Trata-se de problemas, don't make it plural. You cannot say Tratam-se de problemas. The word de stops the agreement. This is a tricky one. Even native speakers mess this up sometimes. It is the ultimate test for a C1 student. Don't fall into the plural trap when a preposition is lurking nearby!

You might know the voz passiva analítica. That is O livro foi escrito. This is fine, but it is longer. The impersonal passive Escreveu-se o livro is punchier. There is also the indeterminate subject. This uses the same word se. But it works differently. Vive-se bem aqui means "One lives well here." There is no object being acted upon. The impersonal passive always has an object. That object becomes the subject. Vende-se o carro means "The car is sold." The car is the subject. It is a subtle difference. But at C1, you need to spot it. It is like the difference between a high-five and a formal handshake.