Learn English – to withdraw , to be withdrawn

grammar

I've read a definition for the word withdraw at Cambridge Dictionary and there was examples for it's usage.

Ex:The president has ordered troops to be withdrawn from the area.

but, I can't under stand why should I use the passive form to be withdrawn instead of the active form to withdraw , as long as the troops will do the action by themselves.

Thanks,

Best Answer

The president has ordered troops to be withdrawn from the area.

Withdrawing troops from an area is a long and complex process requiring planning, scheduling, coordination, etc. The troops will not be simply turning around and going back by themselves in response to an order reality, but rather waiting for coordinated and planned orders (which may not occur to all at once) to do so. Passive voice is appropriate here because of that.

The writer has chosen to abstract this involved process in a "personal" process for conciseness (the troops be withdrawn versus something like that a process of orderly withdrawal be started) and assumed you will follow along with that.