IELTS Grammar: Passive Voice Guide

Master passive voice to achieve sophisticated, formal writing in IELTS Task 1 and Task 2. Passive constructions demonstrate advanced grammatical range and are essential for Band 7+ scores.

This comprehensive guide covers passive voice formation, usage patterns, and strategic applications in IELTS Writing and Speaking with practical examples and common mistakes to avoid.

What is Passive Voice?

Active Voice:

The subject performs the action

Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
Example: "The researcher conducted the study."
Focus: WHO did the action

Passive Voice:

The subject receives the action

Structure: Subject + be + Past Participle (+ by agent)
Example: "The study was conducted by the researcher."
Focus: WHAT happened

Key Point: Passive voice shifts focus from the doer to the action or result, making it ideal for academic and formal writing styles required in IELTS.

Passive Voice Formation

Tense	Active Form	Passive Form	IELTS Example
Present Simple	Subject + V1/V1+s	am/is/are + past participle	"English is spoken worldwide."
Present Continuous	Subject + am/is/are + V-ing	am/is/are + being + past participle	"New technologies are being developed."
Present Perfect	Subject + have/has + V3	have/has + been + past participle	"Progress has been made in education."
Past Simple	Subject + V2	was/were + past participle	"The study was completed in 2020."
Past Continuous	Subject + was/were + V-ing	was/were + being + past participle	"The policy was being implemented."
Past Perfect	Subject + had + V3	had + been + past participle	"The results had been published."
Future Simple	Subject + will + V1	will + be + past participle	"The report will be released soon."
Future Perfect	Subject + will have + V3	will + have been + past participle	"The project will have been completed."

When to Use Passive Voice

1. Unknown or Unimportant Agent

Use passive when the doer is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant.

Examples:
" "The data was collected over six months." (who collected it is not important)
" "Mistakes were made in the calculation." (who made them is unknown/irrelevant)
" "English is taught in most schools." (teachers are obvious)

2. Formal/Academic Writing

Passive voice creates objectivity and formality in academic contexts.

Examples:
" "The experiment was conducted using standard procedures."
" "Several factors were considered in the analysis."
" "It is believed that technology improves learning."

3. Focus on Action/Result

Emphasize what happened rather than who did it.

Examples:
" "The policy was implemented successfully." (focus on the policy)
" "New discoveries have been made in medicine." (focus on discoveries)
" "The problem will be solved soon." (focus on the solution)

4. Avoiding Responsibility

Diplomatic language to avoid blame or direct criticism.

Examples:
" "Errors were found in the report." (rather than "You made errors")
" "The deadline was not met." (rather than "We missed the deadline")
" "Standards need to be improved." (rather than "You must improve")

Passive Voice in IELTS

Perfect for Data Description:

Process Descriptions:

"Water is heated to 100�C."
"The mixture is then filtered."
"Finally, the product is packaged."

Chart/Graph Analysis:

"A significant increase was observed."
"The highest sales were recorded in July."
"Different patterns can be seen."

Task 1 Benefits:
" Creates formal, objective tone
" Focuses on data rather than personal opinions
" Varies sentence structure
" Demonstrates grammatical range

Academic Argumentation:

Presenting Facts:

"It is widely accepted that..."
"Research has been conducted to prove..."
"Several studies have been published..."

Discussing Solutions:

"Measures should be taken to address..."
"Policies need to be implemented..."
"Resources must be allocated..."

Impersonal Opinions:

"It is argued that technology improves learning."
"It is believed that education should be free."
"It can be said that globalization has benefits."

Tip: Use passive to present others' opinions objectively without saying "I think" repeatedly.

Strategic Speaking Applications:

Part 1:

"I was born in..."
"English is taught at my school."
"Traditional festivals are celebrated..."

Part 2:

"I was influenced by this person because..."
"The event was organized by..."
"Many lessons were learned from..."

Part 3:

"Education is considered important because..."
"Technology is being used to improve..."
"Changes have been made to address..."

Speaking Caution: Don't overuse passive voice in speaking. It should sound natural, not forced or overly formal.

Special Passive Constructions

Modal Verbs + Passive

Structure: Modal + be + past participle

Examples:
" "The problem should be solved immediately."
" "Results can be improved with practice."
" "The policy must be implemented carefully."
" "Mistakes could have been avoided."
" "The project might be completed early."

IELTS Usage: Perfect for making recommendations and discussing possibilities in Task 2.

Get + Past Participle

Usage: More informal than 'be' passive, often implies action or change

Examples:
" "Students get distracted by technology."
" "Problems get solved through cooperation."
" "People get confused by complex rules."
" "The work got finished on time."

IELTS Usage: More suitable for Speaking than Writing due to informal tone.

It + Passive + That Clause

Purpose: Present information impersonally and formally

Examples:
" "It is believed that education improves society."
" "It has been proven that exercise benefits health."
" "It is expected that technology will advance."
" "It was reported that unemployment decreased."

IELTS Usage: Excellent for Task 2 to present research findings and general beliefs without personal opinion.

Causative Passive

Structure: Have/Get + object + past participle

Examples:
" "I had my essay checked by a teacher."
" "The government got the policy approved by parliament."
" "Students have their work evaluated regularly."
" "We got the problem solved quickly."

IELTS Usage: Useful for describing services and processes in both Writing and Speaking.

Common Passive Voice Mistakes

Wrong Past Participle

Incorrect: "The work was did by students."
Correct: "The work was done by students."

Missing 'Be' Verb

Incorrect: "The study conducted last year."
Correct: "The study was conducted last year."

Overusing Passive

Problematic: "The study was conducted. Results were analyzed. Conclusions were drawn."
Better: "The study was conducted, results were analyzed, and researchers drew conclusions."

Intransitive Verbs

Incorrect: "The accident was happened yesterday."
Correct: "The accident happened yesterday." (happen is intransitive)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Convert to Passive

Researchers conducted the study over two years.
The government will implement new policies next year.
Technology has changed communication methods.
Students should complete assignments on time.
People were discussing the issue widely.

Exercise 2: Choose Active or Passive

Decide whether active or passive voice is more appropriate:

The experiment _______ (conduct) according to standard procedures.
I _______ (believe) that education is important.
Errors _______ (find) in the original data.
The researcher _______ (publish) the results last month.
New technologies _______ (develop) every year.

Exercise 1 - Passive Versions:

"The study was conducted over two years (by researchers)."
"New policies will be implemented next year (by the government)."
"Communication methods have been changed by technology."
"Assignments should be completed on time (by students)."
"The issue was being discussed widely (by people)."

Exercise 2 - Answers:

was conducted (passive - formal, focus on procedure)
believe (active - personal opinion)
were found (passive - focus on errors, not who found them)
published (active - focus on the researcher's action)
are developed (passive - focus on technologies, not developers)

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