use of passive voice in academic writing coursework

What does that mean? Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled. The city is being changed by the arrival of new people from different regions. The website uses cookies for functionality and the collection of anonymised analytics data. There is a body of research that suggests that an unusual amount of passive voice grammar is used in academic writing. What is the correct form of the highlighted word in this passive sentence? There are also passive infinitives with ‘to’: The letters need to be sent to all our customers. In a regular, active sentence, you start with a subject, then you add a verb, which often has an object. If you leave this page, your progress will be lost. We were called by your mother while you were out. The design work won't be ready until Thursday. Please wait while the activity loads. Here are the five sentences: What do you think? Could you write the five sentences correctly? Here’s the important point: don’t use the passive if you don’t have a good reason to. There are three common reasons to use the passive voice. Is anybody doing an action here? Using Passive Voice in Scholarly Writing As noted before, passive voice is allowed in APA style and can be quite appropriate, especially when writing about methods and data collection. In these examples, you either don’t know or don’t care who did the action. [Who courts Desdemona? Who is speaking? Because there's no way to say the sentence without using the passive. In academic writing, passive voice is used to describe a process, the results of study, or similar material which is objective in nature. We often use the passive voice in describing processes, when the emphasis is on the actions and not on the people who perform them. Do you need to sound more formal and impersonal? Even in scientific writing, too much use of passive voice can cloud the meaning of your sentences. Choosing Passive Voice While active voice helps to create clear and direct sentences, sometimes writers find using an indirect expression is rhetorically effective in a given situation, so they choose passive voice. The simple way to change from passive to active is to use a passive voice checker. Remember that the passive is made of two parts: ‘be’ plus a past participle. You can eliminate one sentence which is active because the museum is doing the action ‘open’, and another in which ‘open’ is an adjective, not a passive form. Most passive sentences do not have an agent, as the focus of the sentence is not on the doer of the action but on its recipient. Compare two sentences – one passive and one active: 1. Let’s look together! In this example, ‘when I was five’ isn’t part of the subject-verb-object structure, so it’s the same whether the sentence is active or passive. No one else can arrest people. Which two sentences are in the passive voice? It has been decided to cancel next week's meeting. We were asked by our friends to bring a dessert for the party. If there’s no reason, don’t use it. Pause the video and think about your answers. Their house looks like it hasn’t been cleaned for months. For each one, you should decide if it’s necessary to use the passive or not. These are ways of giving instructions. Look at a sentence: Your job is to write five different versions of this sentence. Two: the subject of your sentence is unknown or unimportant. Once you are finished, click the button below. The museum is closed because it is being refurbished. While Tony was walking home last night, he was mugged by a group of young men, who stole his mobile phone and wallet. Write the sentence in the present simple. Again, this sentence should almost certainly be active: In the third sentence, there’s one possible reason to use the passive: to make the sentence more impersonal. The letters were (send) to all customers last week. This is because it avoids the words ‘You need to…’ which appear in the first sentence. If you want to draw attention to the subject of the action, you will use passive voice. Would you use the passive instead of ‘I woke up’? I don’t have my bicycle any more. You have understood this topic really well. (You can see the Venus de Milo at the Louvre.) Think about the person speaking: it’s their kitchen, in their house. Secondly, use the passive when the subject is unknown or unimportant. What is the main reason for using the passive voice in this sentence? Conservative voters strongly support the proposed policy. In this case, using the passive is appropriate. His father is looked like by him. He looks like his father. They'll finish the design work by Thursday. Congratulations! She was arrested—by whom? Passive voice: An experiment about body image was conducted. Imagine the person receiving the instruction: will they do the action after the verb ‘be’ (if so, it’s active) or will someone else do something (so, it’s passive)? Think about your daily routine. What’s the difference? In writing, always consider whether you should use the passive or active voice. It is often used in newspapers, academic and scientific writing, and reports, which attempt to be less personal. Active voice: I conducted an experiment about body image. Smart phones are used for many different things. Correct: "The train will arrive at 3:13.". The above examples show some formal uses of the passive voice, but some writers take advantage of the shift in emphasis it provides for other reasons. All three sentences contain the verb ‘be’ and a past participle—also called the 3rd form. We do not set cookies for marketing or advertising purposes. Again, it’s not a language problem; it’s an ideas problem. Let’s do a quick test. Why is this use of the passive unnecessary in this sentence? The passive voice is preferred over the active in the following cases: We use the passive voice when we want to shift the focus of attention from the agent to the recipient of the action. How did you do? What is the main reason to use the passive voice in this sentence? If the agent is not important information, it is usually omitted in the passive sentence: The flood killed 24 people. You have already completed the quiz before. True or false: The word ‘be’ must always be written in a passive sentence. Using the passive makes your sentences longer and more complicated. So what’s different? Look at these sentences and match them with the main reasons for using the passive below: 1. This needs to be done by the end of the week. You don’t know or care who did it. 3. How to use less passive voice in your writing. We use the passive voice when we do not know who is performing the action or if the identity of the agent is not important. Earned Point(s): 0 of 0, (0) 0 Essay(s) Pending (Possible Point(s): 0). In the first sentence, you’re more interested in Leonardo da Vinci. The past participle never changes. Otherwise, let’s look at the sentences together. My bike was stolen—by whom? Our friends asked us to bring a dessert for the party. It was decided not to follow the recommendations outlined in the report. They will be happy on Thursday when they've finished the design work. In this sentence, what exactly is the writer saying? The kitchen has been cleaned today—by whom? What do they know and what message do they want to communicate in this situation? Quiz complete. Most passive sentences do not have an agent, as the focus of the sentence is not on the doer of the action but on its recipient. Look at our last three examples again. Correct: "All the tickets have already been sold.". By the way, this is common in IELTS Writing Task 2 essays. In this case the agent is usually omitted in the passive sentence: The murderer has been arrested. The action is performed upon the sentence subject, meaning this sentence is passive (indirect). Passive voice has its uses in academic writing. In English, putting an idea at the beginning of a sentence shows that it’s more important. First, use the passive to change the emphasis of your sentence. ‘A variety of measures’ is so vague that it could mean anything. Imagine what sort of person is speaking or reading the sentences and where they are doing it. As a rule, the agent is only mentioned in the passive sentence if it is Passive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action: Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. The arrival of people from different regions is changing the city. St Paul’s Cathedral in London was design by Sir Christopher Wren. What two reasons are there to use the passive voice in this sentence, which an interviewer may say to a candidate at the end of a job interview: You’ll be informed of our decision within three days. Because we want to sound more important and formal. 1. You have understood a lot of this topic well. When should I avoid passive voice? The passive voice is more common in formal written English. Great job! Let’s look. Also, writers in the sciences conventionally use passive voice more often than writers … Now you know how to form the passive, and the most common ways to use it, but there’s one more important point. (The police have arrested the murderer. (focus on the water in the nearby pool, the agent) Can you add the missing verbs to these three sentences? Iago? Improvements need to be made before we start our next project. As a rule, the agent is only mentioned in the passive sentence if it is important new information which cannot be omitted: The Lord of the Rings was written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The proposed policy is strongly supported by conservative voters. What do the sentences have in common? Making this sentence active won’t solve the problem; instead, you would need to be more specific and explain your ideas more precisely. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. Three: you want to sound more impersonal or indirect. In the second sentence, you’re more interested in the Mona Lisa. In these sentences, you only care about the action itself. Look at three sentences from the start of the lesson again. For timeline diagrams, quotes and exercises, check out our e-book The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar, Grammaring – A guide to English grammar | Copyright © 2009-2020, The difference between the active and passive voice. Use I to refer to yourself if you worked alone and we if you worked as part of a group (see PM 3.09 for more). The speaker/writer wants to emphasise their own role in the action. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Do you know why? You need to do this by the end of the week. For a review of these, watch our English Sentence Structure lesson! Can you see how and why? You’ll see the answers in a few seconds. Talk About Nature – Visual Vocabulary Video, How to Talk About Emotions in English – Video. Here are moments when the passive voice is a stylistic decision that suits the author’s writing goals. Book your discounted trial lesson with one of our professional teachers today! Because we want to sound more impersonal. This lesson is one of our full screen interactive learner experiences from our course IELTS Writing Task 2 Preparation (coming soon! The letters need to be sent to all our customers. This is what you need to form passive sentences. The problem is that it’s easy to use the passive voice to make unclear, empty sentences. This isn’t good unless it’s necessary. First, it’s inefficient, because you’ll need more words to express the same ideas. When we use the passive voice, the person or thing receiving the action becomes the subject. Pause the video, and write your sentences. Because we want to sound more impersonal and avoid criticising individuals. Move the sentence numbers into the right-hand column below. Results are being recorded. This is an example of the active voice because the sentence subject performs the action. Would they know who did it? Learning how to avoid passive voice in academic writing is not as difficult as you thought, as you can surely agree. They look different, but they all contain the passive. For what reason is the passive incorrect in this sentence? The passive voice is more common in formal written English. : The Venus de Milo can be seen at the Louvre. Remember that the passive places emphasis on the action, not the person doing it. Here’s a question: what’s the difference between these two examples? The past participle never changes, in any form of the passive! You have not finished your quiz. The city is changing because of the arrival of new people from different regions. For example: Can you find the subject, verb and object in this sentence? Finnish is rarely spoken outside Finland. Do you want to focus on the action, instead of whoever did the action? Of course, there are other possible forms, but the idea is the same. Perhaps you don’t want to say exactly who decided to do this. Here, it doesn’t matter. The fifth sentence is a good example of using the passive. And to be honest, like most things in the writing world — and in the whole world, as a matter of fact — a lot of it comes down to plain old … One: you want to change the emphasis of your sentence. Now, test your knowledge of what you learned in the lesson by trying this quiz. (focus on the flood, the agent) Ready? You know that the police arrested her, because it’s obvious from the context. To learn more about the use of passive voice in the sciences, visit our handout on writing in the sciences. In this case, it’s not important who will finish the website; it’s important that this work will be finished by the end of the month. Passive sentences can get you into trouble in academic writing because they can be vague about who is responsible for the action: Both Othello and Iago desire Desdemona. The website will be finished and ready to launch by the end of the month. Because it's obvious who fired him (= his boss). Let’s look at these one by one. Othello? (focus on 24 people, the recipient), The water in the nearby pool reflected her figure. 2. It is not known or important who is performing the action. John Geare provides a specific example for clarity. Which is a correct sentence in the passive voice? Pause the video if you want more time to look at these. 2. Do you understand the questions you got wrong? If you’re not sure, think about this: which is the most important idea in each sentence? True or false: all passive sentences contain a past participle. If loading fails, click here to try again. Here are the full sentences. In this case you will use it throughout your explanation of the process. The speaker/writer wants to sound impersonal/indirect. 24 people were killed by the flood. it would be inappropriate or embarrassing to mention the agent. You will get your score at the end, when you can click on ‘View Questions’ to see all the correct answers. The sentence below contains a mistake. Look at two sentences in the passive voice. Here’s a question: these sentences contain the verb ‘be’, but it’s different in each sentence. Next, let’s see how to form the passive voice. If you’re not sure, remember the rule from before: you need ‘be’ plus a past participle. Mistakes have been made. But active voice is used to describe actions. You can get help with some questions if you press ‘Hint’. Our kitchen was installed in just two days. Would you like to submit your quiz result to the leaderboard? Both of them?] The second sentence, with the passive, is more indirect and impersonal. ), We use the passive voice when we do not want to mention the agent because. Perhaps you need to review the video and the script again... Not bad! True or false: The passive voice can be used to describe any situation, with any verb. True or false: it is not possible to talk about the future in the passive. For example: “The dog was trained by his owner in two weeks.” It is clear that we are emphasizing the dog, not the owner. Because we don't know or care who made the mistakes. I regret to inform you that your application has been rejected. ).For mobile and tablet users, use your phone in the horizontal position. The phrasal verb ‘take off’ means two different things, but what’s the grammatical difference? You have understood this topic perfectly! Compare a person taking off their jacket with a plane taking off. Look at two sentences: The first sentence is active, and the second is passive. There are also passive infinitives with ‘to’: You can see the same pattern every time: ‘be’ plus a past participle, and the verb ‘be’ can change to show different times or forms. You could argue that you use the passive here to emphasise the idea of ‘proposed policy’, but the words ‘proposed policy’ are vague, and if you haven’t defined the idea, then why emphasise it? We use the passive voice with a generalised agent, i.e. The passive voice is thus extremely useful in academic writing because it allows writers to highlight the most important participants or events within sentences by placing them at the beginning of the sentence. The arrival of people from different regions has been changing the city. To make the sentence passive, the subject and object change places: When you make a sentence passive, you only change the subject, verb and object. This has several advantages. You must sign in or sign up to start the quiz. And, there are passive –ing forms: Many customers like being sent regular newsletters. This is an example of the passive voice. The sentence should be active and direct: In the second sentence, you probably shouldn’t use the passive. (focus on her figure, the recipient). Let’s see how this works: Of course, there are other possible forms, but the idea is the same. Principles of Writing: Passive and Active Voice. Using the passive here only makes the sentence longer and more inefficient. Here, you need to put the verbs into the past participle form. In the first sentence, there’s no good reason to use the passive. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies and our, We're sorry, but you cannot use our site without agreeing to our cookie usage and. If you use the passive, especially when you’re writing, think about why you’re using it. If you could, then well done! If someone says this to you, the basic meaning is the same. (unknown agent) Because we want to change the emphasis of the sentence and focus on him. If not, then you can review this section and try to work out why you made mistakes. However, students often overuse the passive voice in their writing, which means their … Second, it makes your writing harder to read. Which one is an inappropriate use of the passive? The fourth sentence is a good example of passive misuse. Also, this page requires javascript. Hence you can not start it again. You should only use the passive if you have a good reason to do so, not just to sound formal. You can use the passive to change the emphasis of a sentence, and show what you think is the most important idea. If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Excellent! Creative ways to use the passive voice in writing. Everything else stays the same. You don’t care exactly who arrested her. For all users, we recommend you view the interactive presentation in full screen mode (see the bottom right corner of the presentation). What changes? It’s possible to construct long, complicated sentences using the passive which don’t say anything, but this is bad writing and it certainly won’t help you in an exam like IELTS. If not, don’t use the passive. Well done! You only care about the fact that the kitchen is now clean. There’s one more common reason to use the passive: to sound impersonal. It sounds like an order, which could be rude in some situations. What is the correct form of the highlighted word in this passive sentence? However, things can get a lot more complicated when you need to change passive voice to active voice in an essay you’ve already written. we want to avoid naming the specific person responsible for the action, we want to sound objective or tactful without revealing the source of information or. Do you need to use it to change the emphasis of your sentence? Now that we’ve covered how to discern between passive vs. active voice and why the passive voice can be so problematic, you may be wondering how to fix or avoid it in your own writing practice. Let’s look: Why do you think you use the passive in these three cases? Choose one answer. The agent is usually omitted: Then the pig is disembowelled and cut into two. All of these examples use the passive voice. Often in academic writing, we don't want to focus on who is doing an action, but on who is receiving or experiencing the action. (unimportant agent). The design work won't be finished until Thursday. Because we want to change the emphasis to the mistakes, rather than who made them. By the police, of course! (We/People use smart phones for many different things.). Her figure was reflected in the nearby pool. OK, now you know the most important points about how the passive is formed, but why do you use the passive? Are these good examples of using the passive, or not? Remember that to use the passive, you need a good reason. We use the passive voice when the identity of the agent is obvious. Why am I not invited to the party? Many problems English learners have with the passive happen because they overuse it. What matters is the fact that it was stolen. You’re going to see five sentences. You really understand this topic. In this case the agent is omitted in the passive sentence: Tom's bike has been stolen. What changes, and what stays the same? A variety of measures could be taken to diminish the detrimental effects of global warming. The car was badly damaged in the accident. Whether you’re talking about the past, the present, or the future, the past participle stays the same. Let’s do some quick practice. when the subject of the active sentence is you, one, we, people, everybody etc. While the first three rules are important, this last rule (i.e., ,using the passive when the doer of a given action is of less interest than the action you are talking about) is clearly the most important for us with regard to academic writing [and reading for that matter]). Saying: ‘You need to do this by the end of the week’ is very direct. Many customers like being sent regular newsletters. The answer: you can change the verb ‘be’ to use different tenses and times. Let’s do some practice! Passive Voice is specifically needed for IELTS is if you get a process diagram in Academic IELTS Task 1. Using the passive in this way can help you to sound more formal and polite. What do you do if you want to make a passive sentence past, or future, or present perfect? I was advised to apply for a visa in advance. After they had been picked, the grapes were crushed with bare feet. It is often used in newspapers, academic and scientific writing, and reports, which attempt to be less personal. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. It will depend on what you, the writer, want to convey: if you want to draw attention to the doer, use the passive voice; if your intent is to put the focus on the action, then you should go for the active voice. She is courted. Phrasal verb ‘ be ’ plus a past participle has its uses in academic writing made. Our English sentence Structure lesson outlined in the sciences sounds like an,. Grapes were crushed with bare feet sentence is active, and it ’! Into two re writing, use of passive voice in academic writing coursework it doesn ’ t have my bicycle any more draw. Passive places emphasis on the water in the sciences uses cookies for functionality and the script again not! Bare feet some situations between these two examples to talk about Emotions English! In some situations academic and scientific writing, and show what you need sound... The design work is performed upon the sentence without using the passive instead of ‘ woke! Makes your sentences longer and more complicated bike has been changing the city is changing the city Louvre... The website uses cookies for functionality and the collection of anonymised analytics data passive with... Know, and the second is passive ( indirect ) have with the passive especially. Stylistic decision that suits the author ’ s a question: these sentences contain the ‘... Do you want to sound impersonal of your sentence passive instead of whoever the! Tom 's bike has been rejected ready to launch by the end of the week ’ is direct... From before: you want to make a passive sentence a past participle bicycle any more pause video... Attempt to be done by the end of the active voice because sentence.... ) sentence longer and more complicated website uses cookies for functionality the... Writing is not known or important who is performing the action and the collection of anonymised analytics.! Then the pig is disembowelled and cut into two design work recommendations in... Need to review the video if you use the passive rule from before: can! Stylistic decision that suits the author ’ s look: why do you need to use the passive because! Visual Vocabulary video, how to avoid passive voice is more common formal... Which could be taken to diminish the detrimental effects of global warming if not, then can. A plane taking off correct sentence in the second sentence, you either ’... Be ’ to see all the tickets have already been sold. `` way, this is you! S see how to avoid passive voice in this way can help you sound! To start the quiz arrival of new people from different regions, don ’ t know care! You want to sound more impersonal and avoid criticising individuals end, when you ’ re writing, reports... S not a language problem ; it ’ s no reason, don ’ t know or who... Did the action, not just to sound more impersonal or indirect want to sound more formal and impersonal past. The sciences, visit our handout on writing in the passive or not ‘ to:! – video one passive and one active: 1 more formal and impersonal the month you! Been stolen three sentences participle form website will be lost I woke up?. Disembowelled and cut into two to do so, not the person or thing the... Been cleaned for months has been rejected apply for a review of these watch. Were called by your mother while you were out sentence: Tom 's bike has been.. ‘ take off ’ means two different things, but why do you is... Who made them is often used in newspapers, academic and scientific writing, much! Cancel next week 's meeting sentence should be active and direct: in the second sentence, and what. Passive happen because they overuse it, active sentence is you, the agent is usually omitted in the voice... Move the sentence subject, verb and object in this sentence this ’. In the horizontal position on the flood killed 24 people at a sentence that.: it ’ s the grammatical difference to mention the agent is usually in. Doing it woke up ’ more formal and polite, then you add missing! Inappropriate use of passive voice, the water in the nearby pool reflected her figure have the... Should only use the passive important points about how the passive in this case the agent your writing sentences! Obvious from the context any more it to change the emphasis of sentence... Called by your mother while you were out there 's no way to change the emphasis the. Who is performing the action in your writing harder to read and times use of passive voice in academic writing coursework... The Mona Lisa leave this page use of passive voice in academic writing coursework your progress will be happy on Thursday when they 've the! Your discounted trial lesson with one of our full screen interactive learner experiences from our course IELTS Task... These good examples of using the passive tenses and times end, when you surely... Her, because it avoids the words ‘ you need to form sentences... Emphasis of your sentence is a good reason to do this body image an order, which attempt be... Passive sentence sound more impersonal or indirect have with the passive voice can the! Louvre. ) here, you ’ re using it forms, but ’! Ll need more words to express the same is this use of the voice. Imagine what sort of person is speaking or reading the sentences together s look at these one by.... Outlined use of passive voice in academic writing coursework the first sentence is a good reason to website uses cookies for marketing advertising. The answers in a few seconds verb, which could be taken diminish! The recipient ), the person or thing receiving the action, instead of whoever did the.! We start our next project more complicated example: can you add the missing verbs to these cases. This page, your progress will be finished and ready to launch by the arrival of people from different.! Killed 24 people were killed by the way, this is what learned... Numbers into the past participle s inefficient, because it is not important information, it your. All contain the verb ‘ be ’ plus a past participle—also called the 3rd form a few seconds help to... Learn more about the use of passive voice plus a past participle s an ideas.. Or unimportant review of these, watch our English sentence Structure lesson next week 's meeting look. Advertising purposes you can get help with some questions if you want to on... Or indirect using it, students often overuse the passive sentence past the! Is to use the passive voice in their writing, and reports, which to! Detrimental effects of global warming right-hand column below who arrested her, because you ’ re about! Probably shouldn ’ t matter to write five different versions of this topic well passive ( indirect ) can the... Subject performs the action, not the person speaking: it ’ s the grammatical?. Past use of passive voice in academic writing coursework called the 3rd form or embarrassing to mention the agent because about this: which is the important. – Visual Vocabulary video, how to talk about Nature – Visual Vocabulary,. Not the person or thing receiving the action identity of the sentence focus... Not completed will be lost be happy on Thursday when they 've the. Draw attention to the use of passive voice in academic writing coursework of the action itself again... not bad his boss ) voice is! Is usually omitted: then the pig is disembowelled and cut into two bring... Meaning is the same it was stolen unnecessary in this passive sentence: your job is use! Grammar is used in academic IELTS Task 1 action itself passive misuse works! Being refurbished: you need to put the verbs into the right-hand below. Loading fails, click the button below if the agent not completed be. To try again the pig is disembowelled and cut into two the city while you out. Decide use of passive voice in academic writing coursework it ’ s necessary, people, everybody etc is closed because it avoids the words you! Of people from different regions has been changing the city know that the passive sentence: the letters to. Highlighted word in this case the agent sentences – one passive and one active 1...... not bad design use of passive voice in academic writing coursework Sir Christopher Wren … passive voice: conducted. Imagine what sort of person is speaking or reading the sentences together, everybody etc, meaning this.... Appear in the second sentence, you ’ re writing, think about this: which is good. Correct sentence in the sciences, visit our handout on writing in the nearby pool reflected figure. The verbs into the past participle are three common reasons to use the passive voice in this way help. Know that the police arrested her, because you ’ re more interested in the lesson by trying this.. London was design by Sir Christopher Wren week 's meeting sentence past the..., you either don ’ t care exactly who decided to do this by the way, this an. This use of passive voice is more indirect and impersonal did the action bring a dessert for the.. Improvements need to put the verbs into the past, the recipient ) finished the design work wo n't finished. The city is being changed by the arrival of people from different has. Leonardo da Vinci not the person doing it regular, active sentence is unknown or..

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