How is the passive used in Spanish?

The passive is used more often in English than in Spanish. In Spanish active sentences are preferred in most cases. For example: She was bitten by the dog is most naturally expressed in Spanish as El perro la mordió (the dog bit her). Therefore, when presented with translating a passive in English into Spanish, changing the sentence into an active one is often the easiest solution. Regarding how to use the passive in Spanish itself, there are three common ways. The first is by using the impersonal se. In these constructions, the conjugated verb must relate with the noun. For example: Aquí se habla español (Spanish is spoken here) or Aquí se venden casas (houses are sold here). The second method involves conjugating the verb into the third personal plural (ie. they). For example: Dicen que Pedro es loco (Pedro is said to be crazy). The third method is common in written speech but unnatural in conversation. It is similar to the English passive in its construction and is formed using the verb ser conjugated into the preterite tense along with a past participle. Por usually follows the verb in order to show the agent of the action. El cuadro fue pintado por Picasso.