Somehow passive sentences are like the plague: to be avoided at all costs.  That’s what everyone tells you anyway.  However, for myself, I don’t quite see it that way.  They are not to be preferred, that’s for sure, but avoided at all costs?  No, not at the cost of having an awkward-sounding sentence.  Using them too often is not a good idea, but there are times when they are not only acceptable but recommended.

Now, usually a sentence goes ‘subject-verb-direct object’: ‘Molly ate the hamburger’.  However, if there’s no specific subject, meaning no one in particular is doing the verb, so to speak, and the direct object is the focus of the sentence, then a passive sentence may be the best option.  ‘The Lost Jewel of Aronia was put back in its proper place, and peace was restored to the kingdom.’  The focus of the sentence is the lost jewel; it’s what’s important here.  Who put it back in its proper place?  A guard, the castle wizard, or the royal dog; it doesn’t matter, and maybe you don’t even know.  Remember, we’re approaching this from a novel-writing perspective.  This sentence sounds like it’s part of a summary paragraph in the epilogue, so elaborate details don’t matter.  The important thing here is that after a long, hard quest to find the jewel and save the kingdom, the jewel is back and everyone’s safe.

So when it comes to passive sentences, the rule I have is this: go with what sounds natural.  Does the sentence flow well and put the emphasis on the correct recipient?  Passive sentences are shunned because they can sound weird or weak, but if that’s not the case, don’t be afraid to use them.