Rule reminder

Both passive and 'si impersonale' remove the agent, but differ: PASSIVE ('viene fatto', 'è stato approvato') focuses on the ACTION as done to the subject. SI IMPERSONALE ('si fa', 'si è approvato') focuses on the AGENT being generic (people, one). In formal/official Italian, passive is often preferred when the patient (thing being done to) is the topic. 'Si impersonale' is preferred for generic descriptions of behaviour. In scientific writing, both are used. 'Si passivante' (si + transitive verb + noun) is a hybrid: 'si vende il pane' = 'il pane viene venduto'.