When learning English, you are already familiar with the concept of passive voice. Beyond the common passive form, special passive constructions occur in various contexts. This guide from IDP helps you understand these special passive structures that appear often in IELTS.
1. What is Passive Voice?
Passive Voice is used to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the doer. The verb tense remains the same when converting from an active to a passive sentence.
2. Special Types of Passive Voice
2.1 Double Passive (Passive With That-Clause)
For verbs like agree, assume, claim, believe, report followed by a that-clause:
Active: Everyone knows that he saves her life.
Passive (it + be): It is known that he saves her life.
Passive (to-infinitive): He is known to save her life.
2.2 Passive of Causative Have/Get
With verbs have and get in causative constructions:
Active: Mary has Tom clean the car.
Passive: Mary has the car cleaned by Tom.
Active: I get the hairdresser to dye my hair.
Passive: I get my hair dyed by the hairdresser.
2.3 Passive With Perception Verbs
Verbs like see, hear, watch, notice followed by V-ing or to-infinitive:
Active: They saw the lorry running down the hill.
Passive: The lorry was seen running down the hill.
Active: I noticed they come and leave quickly.
Passive: They were noticed to come and leave quickly.
2.4 Passive With Two Objects
Verbs like give, show, lend, etc., can take two objects (indirect and direct):
Active: My father gave me a new camera.
Indirect object as subject:
A new camera was given to me by my father.
Direct object as subject:
I am given the assignment by my teacher.
2.5 Passive With V‑ing Verbs
Verbs followed by V-ing such as like, enjoy, mind, etc.:
Active: I don’t mind you opening the window.
Passive: I don’t mind the window being opened.
Active: I don’t like you watching TV all the time.
Passive: I don’t like TV being watched by you all the time.
2.6 Passive With “It Is” + Adjective or Noun
Various impersonal constructions:
It’s one’s duty to V-inf → You are supposed to V-inf.
It’s necessary to V-inf → Something should be V-ed.
Imperative: Turn off the heater → The heater should be turned off.
2.7 Passive After Make/Let
Active: They make me do housework.
Passive: I am made to do housework.
Active: My parents never let me drive.
Passive: I am never allowed to drive.
2.8 Passive With Seven Special Verbs
Verbs like suggest, require, insist, etc. + that-clause:
Active: The teacher suggested that students should arrive early.
Passive: It was suggested that students should arrive early.
2.9 Passive With Dummy “It” and Infinitive
Active: It is impossible for us to finish in time.
Passive: It is impossible for the task to be completed in time.
3. Practice Exercises – Special Passive Structures
Exercise 1: Convert to special passive
1. It is impossible for us to complete the exercise in 30 minutes.
2. They make me do housework alone.
3. I have my father repair my motorbike.
4. People said that he had been very thrifty.
5. People believe that their director is very rich.
6. They need clean the car.
7. My friends elected me monitor.
8. My teacher gives me the assignment.
9. She made him tell the truth.
10. She doesn’t like people laughing at her.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct passive form
1. My breakfast always ……………….. (prepare) by my mother every morning.
2. These documents ……………….. (sign) by the manager yesterday.
3. The presentation ……………….. (give) by the CEO at the upcoming conference.
4. The road ……………….. (repair) by the construction crew at the moment.
5. Our reservation just ……………….. (confirm) by the hotel.
6. The tickets ……………….. (sell out) before we reached the theater.
7. The cake ……………….. (bake) in time for the party.
8. Your article ……………….. (not publish) because it ……………….. (peer-review).
9. The rules ……………….. (follow) by all employees in the company.
10. New DNA molecules ……………….. (replicate) by DNA polymerase during cell division.
Exercise 3: Identify and correct errors
1. The documents has reviewed by the legal team.
2. The decision will be announcing by the board of directors at the annual meeting.
3. The road being repaired when the heavy rain started.
4. The message had received, but no response was given.
5. Yesterday, our trip be cancelled due to bad weather.
6. The repairs had been complete before the house was put up for sale.
7. Endangered species should protect to conserve biodiversity.
8. The mistake was been made by the new intern, but it was rectified immediately.
9. This drug is claiming to alleviate your pain within two hours.
10. The lecture will deliver by a renowned professor at the university.
Exercise 4: Create passive sentences using provided prompts
1. project / supervised / experienced project manager / after / propose.
2. contract / signed / prevent / unnecessary conflicts.
3. extract / genetic materials / cell / lysed.
4. concert tickets / sold out / within minutes.
5. ecosystem / heavily damaged / since / industrialisation.
6. updates / installed / IT department.
7. flowers / watered / twice a week.
8. policies / implemented / address social inequalities.
9. cake / baked / I came in.
10. theory of relativity / proposed / Einstein.
Answer
Exercise 1: Convert to special passive
1. It is impossible for the exercise to be completed in 30 minutes.
2. I am made to do housework alone.
3. I have my motorbike repaired by my father.
4. He was said to have been very thrifty.
5. It is believed that their director is very rich.
6. The car needs cleaning.
7. I was elected monitor by my friends.
8. I am given the assignment by my teacher.
9. He was made to tell the truth.
10. He doesn’t like being laughed at.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct passive form
1. is always prepared
| 6. had been sold out
|
Exercise 3: Identify and correct errors
1. has reviewed → has been reviewed
2. will be announcing → will be announced
3. being repaired → was being repaired
4. had received → had been received
5. be cancelled → was cancelled
6. had been complete → had been completed
7. should protect → should be protected
8. was been made → was made
9. is claiming → is claimed
10. will deliver → will be delivered
Exercise 4: Create passive sentences using provided prompts
1. The project will be supervised by an experienced project manager after we propose it.
2. A contract must be signed to prevent unnecessary conflicts.
3. To extract the genetic materials of a cell, the cell must be lysed.
4. The concert tickets were sold out within minutes.
5. The ecosystem has been heavily damaged since industrialisation began.
6. The updates will be installed by the IT department.
7. These flowers must be watered twice a week.
8. Several policies have been implemented to address social inequalities.
9. The cake was being baked when I came in.
10. The theory of relativity was proposed by Einstein.
Master Special Passive Voice With IDP
We hope this guide clarifies various special passive constructions in English. Although this topic can be complex, daily practice will help you remember them and avoid mistakes.
Along with self-study, consider booking a mock IELTS test with IDP to get familiar with test structure and timing. You can choose to take the IELTS computer-based test based on your preference.
When you’re ready, register for your IELTS test with IDP today.