đ§ What is Passive Voice?
đ Focus = action, not the person
Compare:
- Active: The teacher teaches students.
- Passive: Students are taught (by the teacher).
đĸ Basic Structure (VERY IMPORTANT)
đ Formula:
Object + be (am/is/are/was/were) + past participle (V3)
đ Examples:
- The work is done.
- The cake was made.
đĩ Passive in Different Tenses
Present Simple:
- Active: People make cars.
â Passive: Cars are made.
Past Simple:
- Active: They built a bridge.
â Passive: A bridge was built.
Present Perfect:
- Active: They have finished the work.
â Passive: The work has been finished.
Future:
- Active: They will complete the project.
â Passive: The project will be completed.
đĄ When to Use Passive in IELTS
â 1. When doer is not important:
- English is spoken worldwide.
â 2. Formal writing:
- The report was prepared by experts.
â 3. Process description (Task 1):
- The rice is harvested, then it is processed.
đ VERY IMPORTANT for diagrams/process questions
đ´ Common Mistakes
â Missing âbeâ
- The work done â
â The work is done
â Wrong verb form
- The cake is make â
â The cake is made
â Wrong tense
- The work is finished yesterday â
â The work was finished yesterday
đŖ Active â Passive (Step-by-Step)
Example:
- They built a house.
đ Step 1: Object â subject
đ Step 2: Choose correct âbeâ
đ Step 3: Use V3
â A house was built
đ¯ IELTS BAND 7+ TIP
Use passive to sound more formal:
Instead of:
- People use machines in factories â
â Better:
- Machines are used in factories.
đ Advanced Tip (Band 8)
Use passive with linking ideas:
- The data is presented, and it is analyzed to show trends.
⥠Quick Memory Trick
| Tense | Passive |
|---|---|
| Present | is/are + V3 |
| Past | was/were + V3 |
| Perfect | has/have been + V3 |
| Future | will be + V3 |