Grammar 101: When to Use the Passive Voice

In your IELTS Writing test, you may need to use the passive voice frequently, especially if you’re describing a process in Academic Writing Task 1. 

Understanding when and how to use the passive voice effectively can increase the quality of your writing and maximise your chances of achieving a high score on the test. 

In grammar, voice is how a verb shows: 

• who is doing the action (or being in a certain state) 

• who is affected by it  

There are two types of voice: Active and Passive.  

 When a sentence is in the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. 

 e.g. He wrote the letter. 

 In contrast, in the passive voice, the subject is the receiver of the action. We don’t know who did the action.  

 e.g. The letter was written. 

In this example, we focus on the letter, not the person writing it.  

When using the passive voice, we can leave out the doer (the person who does something). But if the doer is important, we can mention him or her by using a prepositional phrase (by + doer).  

Examples:  

The letter was written by his uncle.  

This necklace was given to me by my grandmother. 

We make the passive by using the word 'be' (in the right tense) and the past participle of the verb (e.g. written, invited, stolen, etc.). 

You can use the passive voice in different tenses. Here are some common examples: 

Important: You can’t use some verbs in the passive voice.

Examples:

• Stative verbs (verbs that describe states, not actions) e.g. seem, belong, love, believe 

e.g. This bag belongs to me not This bag is belonged to me.  

• Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not have a direct object) e.g. die, arrive, happen, laugh 

e.g. He died not He was died. 

Note: When talking about someone's birth, use the past form of "be" + "born" e.g. She was born in Scotland not She is born in Scotland. 

Choosing between passive and active voice depends on what you want to emphasize in a sentence. Here are some common situations where the passive voice is used:  

1. When we don't know who did it 

Example: Her wallet was stolen. 

We don’t know who committed the crime.  

2. When it's obvious who did it 

Example: He quit his job because he wasn’t paid enough.  

We know it was his employers who didn’t pay him sufficiently. 

3. When we are more interested in the action than who did it 

Example: Finally, the refined sugar is packaged for distribution and sale. 

In this sentence, we are more interested in the process (the packaging) than the workers. 

4. When people in general do it 

Example: Nowadays, most movies and TV shows can be streamed online.  

This is an activity that the public can do.   

You can use the passive voice in your IELTS Writing and Speaking tests. However, remember that the passive voice tends to be more formal and is more commonly used in writing than in speaking.   

You might use the passive to describe a process in Academic Writing Task 1:  

Example: Next, the materials are taken to the recycling plant.  

When you’re writing your Task 2 essay, you may use some passive sentences to present arguments or develop ideas.  

Example: In many cultures, the responsibility for elderly care is traditionally placed on the family. 

If you’re taking the IELTS General Training test, you might use some passive structures if you’re asked to write a formal letter, such a letter of complaint. 

Example: The product I received was damaged upon delivery. 

While the passive voice is often used in formal writing, be careful not to overuse it. To make your writing flow more naturally, it's important to vary your sentence structures. 

If you want to feel more confident on test day, starting practising with the passive and active voice now. Why not begin by taking our short quiz below? 

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence. You can find the answers at the end of the quiz.  

Q1: She____________ English to students in Vietnam last year. 

1. was taught 

2. taught 

3. is taught 

4. teaches  

Q2: The diagram illustrates the way in which olive oil ___________. 

1. is produced 

2. produces 

3. produced 

4. be produced 

 Q3: The book ___________ by the end of the year. 

1. will publish  

2. will be published 

3. will published 

4. published 

 Q4: This medication _______________ twice a day. 

1. must take 

2. must be taking 

3. must taking 

4. must be taken 

Q5: My smart watch __________ my heart rate when I’m exercising. 

1. is recorded 

2. was recorded 

3. recording 

4. records 

 Q6: Someone _______________ my passport and given it to the security guard. 

1. had been found 

2. had found 

3. was found 

4. is found 

 Q7: I went for an interview last week, but I ____________yet. 

1. haven't been contacted 

2. haven't contacted 

3. didn't be contacted 

4. wasn't being contacted 

 Q8: He ____________ with me. 

1. was agreed 

2. is agreed 

3. agrees 

4. agreeing 

 Q9: Princess Diana was born in 1961 and ________ in 1997. 

1. was died 

2. died 

3. is died 

4. dies 

 Q10: Ladies and gentlemen, trains ____________ because of a signal failure.  

1. are currently delaying 

2. is currently delaying 

3. are currently being delayed 

4. delayed 

• Q1: b 

• Q2: a 

• Q3: b 

• Q4: d 

• Q5: d 

• Q6: b 

• Q7: a 

• Q8: c 

• Q9: b 

• Q10: c 

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