Arsenio’s ESL Podcast: Special – IELTS – Passive Voice

Passive voice — one of the most difficult aspects of grammar to learn — is officially here.  I’m very happy to present my writers with this (and especially my IELTS students who are learning how to right a process).

The goal is to do this in baby steps.  An introduction, if you will. I don’t want to over-saturate you with an insane amount of information like your “normal,” historical teachers do.  I’m going to show you the basis and put you to work.

Example

Here’s an example of an active sentence: The river runs through Bangkok.

It’s your basic article, subject, verb, etc.

However, with passive voice, we focus on the object more than the subject: The letter was written by James.

Passive voice: be + past participle)

In the case above, was is the verb to be (obviously in the past) plus the verb participle of write (written).

IELTS TECHNIQUE

Make sure you use the correct form of the verb when you describe a process.  Natural processes are described in active voice, whereas manufacturing are in passive form.

Ex: The tree is chopped down.

Task

Put the following sentences into present simple passive form.

1. the documents / print
2. the window / open
3. the shoes / buy
4. the car / wash
5. the litter / throw away
6. the letter / send
7. the book / read / not
8. the songs / sing / not
9. the food / eat / not
10. the shop / close / not

Podcast