Italian passive sentences

Some sentences can have an active and a passive voice. The difference depends on the communicative intention of the speaker.
We use a passive sentence when we want to highlight who or what is directly affected by the action carried out by the subject (here called Agent) and expressed by the verb.
Sometimes, the Agent is even omitted, to stress once more the real focus of the sentence, e.g. the direct object, that is now the Subject of the sentence.

Active form

An active sentence usually follows the typical structure of a basic Italian sentence.

 Active form: Subject + Verb + Direct object

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Passive form

Passive forms are used to stress that an action directly affects the object.
Sometimes the Agent is omitted, or not needed at all.

 Passive form: Direct object + Verb + [Preposition Da + Subject/Agent]

Note that sentences with direct objects only can have a passive form.

• PASSIVE FORM: Active: La maestra aiuta l'alunno. (The teacher helps the pupil).
                               Passive: L'alunno è aiutato dalla maestra. (The pupil is helped by the teacher).
• NO PASSIVE FORM: Active: Io parlo con la nonna. (I talk to grandma) 
                                     Passive: La nonna è parlata con me (Non-exhistent)

Passive construction with Si (Si passivante)

Another way of forming the passive voice is by using Si, the so-called Si passivante.
This type of passive is used when the subject is not determined.

 Passive with Si: Si + Verb + Rest of the sentence