Which sentence uses passive voice appropriate for a formal report?

• A. The system was designed to meet the specified security requirements.
• B. We designed the system to meet the specified security requirements.
• C. The system design meets the specified security requirements.
• D. The designers ensured the system would meet the specified security requirements.

Answer: (A)

Passive voice in formal reports keeps the focus on the action and its result rather than on who performed it. The sentence uses the form “was designed,” which centers on the system as the thing that was acted upon and completed, not on the designer. This creates a neutral, objective tone typical of formal documentation, where the emphasis is on what was done and what the system now satisfies, rather than on who did the designing. The other options shift emphasis to the actors (we or designers) or describe the situation in a way that feels less like a completed, documented action, which is less aligned with the formal-report style. So this construction best fits a formal report.