Sentence Structure Intermediate

Passive Voice

Master the Passive Voice in English. Learn how to form it in all tenses, when to use it (especially in academic and scientific writing), and how to convert Active to Passive correctly.

What is Passive Voice?

The Passive Voice shifts focus from the agent (who does the action) to the receiver of the action. It is extensively used in academic writing, scientific reports, news and formal contexts. <a href="https://sunpte.com/learn/pte" class="il-link">PTE Academic</a> and IELTS Writing heavily feature passive constructions, and using them correctly is a marker of advanced grammar.

Rules & Formation

Formation: Object of active sentence + appropriate form of "be" + past participle (+ by + agent, optional).
Tense determines the form of "be": am/is/are (Present Simple), was/were (Past Simple), has/have been (Present Perfect), will be (Future), is being (Present Continuous), was being (Past Continuous), had been (Past Perfect).
Use when: the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
Use to maintain an objective tone in academic writing.
Use to vary sentence structure and avoid repeating "researchers found / they discovered / they concluded".
The agent is only mentioned when it adds important information: "The policy was introduced by the government in 2010."

Examples

Active: Researchers conducted the study in 2020. → Passive: The study was conducted in 2020.

Active: The government has introduced new regulations. → Passive: New regulations have been introduced.

Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. (scientific fact — agent omitted)

The results will be published next month. (future passive)

The essay must be submitted before midnight. (modal passive)

Several problems have been identified in the current system. (academic passive)

🎯 Exam Tip — PTE & IELTS

Academic writing in IELTS and PTE Writing strongly favours the Passive Voice for describing research, processes and graphs. In PTE Summarize Written Text, use passive constructions to paraphrase: instead of "researchers found", write "it was found that". In IELTS Writing Task 1 for process diagrams, passive is essential: "First, the raw materials are collected; then they are processed..."

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I form the Passive Voice in different tenses?

Present Simple: is/are + past participle ("English is spoken worldwide"). Past Simple: was/were + past participle ("The report was submitted yesterday"). Present Perfect: has/have been + past participle ("New guidelines have been published"). Future: will be + past participle ("Results will be announced next week"). Present Continuous: is/are being + past participle ("The system is being upgraded"). Modal passive: modal + be + past participle ("The form must be completed in full").

Should I use Active or Passive in IELTS Writing?

Both are appropriate, and the best writing uses both. In Task 2 essays, a mix of active and passive shows grammatical range. The passive is particularly appropriate when describing: (1) research findings ("It has been argued that..."), (2) current situations ("Millions of jobs are expected to be lost"), and (3) policy ("Legislation was introduced to..."). Overusing passive makes writing impersonal and sometimes unclear.

Can I always omit "by + agent" in Passive sentences?

Yes, when the agent is unknown, obvious, or unimportant. "The window was broken" (we don't know or care who broke it). Include "by + agent" when the agent is important or surprising: "The paper was published by a team of Oxford researchers." (the agent adds credibility). In most academic passive sentences, the agent is omitted.

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