The passive voice for processes and formal writing
When the passive is the right choice in Task 1 process diagrams and academic argument, and when it just makes writing vague.
- Marking criterion
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Where it pays off
- Writing Task 1 Academic · Writing Task 2
The passive is not automatically more academic. It is the correct choice when the agent is unknown, obvious or irrelevant, which is exactly the situation in a manufacturing or natural process diagram. Used there it is precise; used everywhere it makes writing heavy and vague.
Form
The passive is be plus the past participle, with the tense carried by 'be'.
- Present simple passive: 'The pulp is dried in large ovens.'
- Past simple passive: 'The site was cleared in 1998.'
- Present perfect passive: 'The scheme has been extended twice.'
- Modal passive: 'Waste can be recycled at this stage.'
- Add 'by' only when the agent genuinely matters: 'The report was commissioned by the ministry.'
Process diagrams
A process diagram in Task 1 Academic is almost entirely passive plus sequencing language.
- Sequence markers: to begin with, at the next stage, this step involves, a further stage, after this stage is complete, meanwhile, eventually, finally.
- Chain the stages: 'The clay is then transferred to a mould, where it is left to set.'
- Use the present simple passive for a repeating process and the past simple passive for a historic one.
- For a natural cycle such as the water cycle, active verbs are often more accurate: 'water evaporates', not 'water is evaporated'.
Maps and changes over time
Map tasks describe what was done to a place, so the passive suits them.
- 'The woodland was cleared and replaced by a housing estate.'
- 'A pedestrian bridge was constructed to the east of the station.'
- Combine with prepositions of place to keep the description precise.
When not to use it
Overusing the passive is a real weakness, especially in Task 2.
- If you know who acts and it matters, use the active: 'Governments subsidise rail travel' is clearer than 'Rail travel is subsidised'.
- Do not use the passive to hide an unsupported claim: 'It is said that' and 'It is believed that' add nothing.
- Never write a passive of an intransitive verb: 'the population was increased' is wrong unless someone increased it.
Corrected examples
Incorrect: Then workers put the mixture into moulds and after that they heat it.
Correct: The mixture is then poured into moulds and subsequently heated.
In a process diagram the workers are irrelevant, so the passive is both shorter and more appropriate.
Incorrect: The number of residents was increased between 1990 and 2010.
Correct: The number of residents increased between 1990 and 2010.
'Increase' is intransitive here, so it has no passive form.
Incorrect: It is believed by many people that education should be free.
Correct: Many people believe that education should be free.
When the agent is stated, the active is clearer and shorter.
Quick checklist
- Passive for process diagrams and map changes.
- Active when the agent is known and relevant.
- Add 'by' only when the agent matters.
- Never form a passive from an intransitive verb.
Apply it to a real response and check the length and structure.
Open the writing checklist