Is used when then subject of a sentence receives the action instead of doing it?

This describes the passive voice in grammar. In a passive construction, the subject is acted upon by the verb, rather than performing the action. For example, in the sentence "The ball was thrown by the boy," the ball (subject) receives the action of being thrown, while the boy is the doer of the action. This contrasts with the active voice, where the subject performs the action, as in "The boy threw the ball."