Passive & Active Voice Advanced English Grammar Passive constructions are far more frequent in the academic genre than in any other. 1. Four Reasons to Use the Passive in Research Writing Passiveis especially common and useful in research writing, where omitting the agent of an action is effective for 4 reasons: 1. Readers already know the agent (often the researchers) Ex: Students who were surveyed at DePaul University mentioned that they were worried about unintentionally plagiarizing. 2. Using passive allows the object of the research to be the subject of the sentence, giving more importance to it than the researchers. Ex: Students who were allowed to use their iphones during the experiment actually cheated less than students who were not. 3. It contributes to a sense of objectivity because human actions are not mentioned. Ex: The most serious evidence of global warming can be found at the North Pole. 4. It can be used to create more cohesion in the text. Ex: The scandal hurt Donald Trump, who was campaigning for president. He was not elected. 2. Two Functions of Passive in Research Writing Passive verbs commonly have 2 functions in research writing: 1. Describing methods and analyses (be analyzed, be calculated, be carried out, be collected, be measured, be observed, be obtained, be prepared, be set, be tested, be used 2. Reporting findings, or interpreting their meaning and connection with other research (be determined, be expected, be found, be seen, be shown, be associated with, be believed to be, can be interpreted as) 3. The Most Common Passive Verbs in Academic Writing (in order of frequency) seen found considered given used done shown Other Academic Verbs Predominantly Used in the Passive Voice (in alphabetical order; for all verbs: be (is/are/was/were) + the Past Participle) achieved deemed formed measured aligned (with) defined given needed applied derived grouped (with/by) noted approved described held observed asked designed identified obtained associated (with) determined illustrated performed attributed (to) discussed inclined plotted based (on) distributed intended positioned born documented introduced prepared brought drawn involved presented calculated entitled (to) kept recognized called estimated known regarded carried examined labeled related (to) chosen expected left replaced classified (as) explained limited (to) reported compared expressed linked (to/with) represented composed (of) extracted located (at/in) required coupled (with) flattered lost said situated subjected (to) transferred viewed stored thought treated studied told understood 4. Verbs that are always (or almost always) used in the Active Voice: appear consist happen last resemble stay arrive come fall occur rest wait belong die lack remain seem 5. By-Phrase with Passive A vast majority of passive sentences in formal .

1. Passive & Active Voice
Advanced English Grammar
Passive constructions are far more frequent in the academic
genre than in any other.
1. Four Reasons to Use the Passive in Research Writing
Passiveis especially common and useful in research writing,
where omitting the agent of an action is effective for 4 reasons:
1. Readers already know the agent (often the researchers)
Ex: Students who were surveyed at DePaul University
mentioned that they were worried about unintentionally
plagiarizing.
2. Using passive allows the object of the research to be the
subject of the sentence, giving more importance to it than the
researchers.
Ex: Students who were allowed to use their iphones during the
experiment actually cheated less than students who were not.
3. It contributes to a sense of objectivity because human actions
are not mentioned.
Ex: The most serious evidence of global warming can be found
at the North Pole.
4. It can be used to create more cohesion in the text.
Ex: The scandal hurt Donald Trump, who was campaigning for
president. He was not elected.
2. Two Functions of Passive in Research Writing
Passive verbs commonly have 2 functions in research writing:
1. Describing methods and analyses (be analyzed, be calculated,

2. be carried out, be collected, be measured, be observed, be
obtained, be prepared, be set, be tested, be used
2. Reporting findings, or interpreting their meaning and
connection with other research (be determined, be expected, be
found, be seen, be shown, be associated with, be believed to be,
can be interpreted as)
3. The Most Common Passive Verbs in Academic Writing
(in order of frequency)
seen
found
considered
given
used
done
shown
Other Academic Verbs Predominantly Used in the Passive Voice
(in alphabetical order; for all verbs: be (is/are/was/were) + the
Past Participle)
achieved
deemed
formed
measured
aligned (with)
defined
given

3. needed
applied
derived
grouped (with/by)
noted
approved
described
held
observed
asked
designed
identified
obtained
associated (with)
determined
illustrated
performed
attributed (to)

4. discussed
inclined
plotted
based (on)
distributed
intended
positioned
born
documented
introduced
prepared
brought
drawn
involved
presented
calculated
entitled (to)

5. kept
recognized
called
estimated
known
regarded
carried
examined
labeled
related (to)
chosen
expected
left
replaced
classified (as)
explained
limited (to)

6. reported
compared
expressed
linked (to/with)
represented
composed (of)
extracted
located (at/in)
required
coupled (with)
flattered
lost
said
situated
subjected (to)
transferred
viewed
stored
thought

7. treated
studied
told
understood
4. Verbs that are always (or almost always) used in the Active
Voice:
appear
consist
happen
last
resemble
stay
arrive
come
fall
occur
rest
wait
belong
die
lack
remain
seem

8. 5. By-Phrase with Passive
A vast majority of passive sentences in formal academic writing
do not include the by-phrase.
The by-phrase is used with the passive for 3 reasons:
1. The agent noun-phrase is long.
2. The agent is NEW information.
3. The main verb belongs to a special group of verbs that are
often used with non-human by-phrases.
The by-passive is especially common with particular verbs in
academic writing. These verbs are special because the by-
phrase usually identifies a kind of data or evidence, rather than
a human agent. (Ex. The amount of profit in the economy is
determined by the amount of surplus value…)
Passive Voice Verbs that Commonly Occur with a Non-Human
By-Phrase in Academic Writing (in alphabetical order)
· be accompanied by
· be caused by
· be characterized by
· be confirmed by
· be defined by
· be described by
· be determined by
· be explained by

9. · be found by
· be given by
· be illustrated by
· be influenced by
· be measured by
· be obtained by
· be replaced by
· be represented by
· be shown by
· be supported by
6. Other Prepositions with Passive Verbs
Passive verb + preposition combinations fulfill important
functions for writing. These are four of the most common
functions and their most common combinations:
Function
Passive Verb + Preposition
identifying places within texts and physical locations
be found in be shown in
classifying, naming, defining
be classified as be known as
be referred to as
connecting ideas, data, conclusions

10. be associated with be based on
be related to
identifying uses, applications
be applied to be used in
Here are the verbs above and more common ones (organized by
preposition collocate):
Preposition
Common Passive Verb + Preposition Combinations
as
be classified as
be considered as
be defined as
be known as
be referred as
be regarded as
in
be found in
be included in
be involved in
be shown in
be used in
to

11. be applied to
be attributed to
be confined to
be linked to
be related to
Other prepositions
be associated with
be based on
be composed of
be derived from
be required for
be used for
Darby Smith and Monika Mulder