In academic and formal writing, the passive is not merely a grammatical option — it is a register marker, an objectivity signal, and a tool for rhetorical precision. Used well, the passive creates authority, removes the personal from what should be impersonal, and foregrounds what matters most. Used badly, it obscures responsibility, creates impenetrable prose, and makes texts harder to read. This lesson addresses the passive at the level where form is assumed — and focuses on how to make strategic, defensible choices about when to use it, when to resist it, and how to advise learners on passive voice as a marker of writing quality.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Both contain the same facts. Which version sounds more like a professional school report? What does the passive achieve in Version B?
Version B (passive) is the appropriate register for a school improvement report. The repeated we in Version A sounds conversational and positions the writer too personally in a document that should be objective. The passive in Version B removes the personal we, creates an objective tone, and focuses on what was done rather than who did it. This is the core function of the passive in formal writing: it creates impersonality and objectivity. The reader of a school report is not interested in who assessed the performance — they are interested in what was assessed and what was found. The passive serves this communicative need efficiently.
What is the effect of combining modal verbs with the passive? What would happen if you converted each to the active?
Modal passives — modal verb + be + past participle — are extremely common in formal writing. They create impersonal obligation, recommendation, or possibility without naming who has the obligation. All lesson plans should be submitted — by whom? By teachers, obviously, but the passive makes this a general institutional requirement rather than a personal instruction. These passives are powerful in formal writing because they express institutional expectations without confrontation. The perfect modal passive (could have been collected, should have been reported) adds regret or critique without personalising it — a very useful diplomatic tool in reports and evaluations.
Does this feel appropriate throughout? Are any passives evasive or unhelpful?
Most passives are appropriate for a formal report. However, the last sentences raise questions. It is regretted that and The situation will be reviewed — who regrets? Who will review? These passives begin to feel evasive. In a document where accountability is the issue — targets not met — readers need to know who is responsible and who will act. A mixture is better: A new review process will be implemented (passive — appropriate) alongside We will meet with the head teacher to discuss a revised plan (active — appropriate for naming responsible parties). The test is always: does omitting the agent serve the reader or protect the writer?
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passive use | Form and function | Example |
| Removing personal voice | be + past participle replaces we/I | The data were collected over six weeks. |
| Modal passive: obligation | must/should + be + past participle | All forms must be submitted by Friday. |
| Modal passive: recommendation | should/could + be + past participle | A revised approach should be considered. |
| Perfect modal passive: critique | should/could + have been + past participle | These concerns should have been raised earlier. |
| Passive reporting | It is believed/known/found that... | It is widely accepted that early intervention is effective. |
| When passive becomes evasive | Agent is known, relevant, and omitted for protection | Mistakes were made. (Who made them?) |
| When active is better in formal writing | Agent is the key information; accountability matters | The head teacher will lead the review. |
NOMINALISATION AND THE PASSIVE
In academic and formal writing, the passive often appears alongside nominalisation — turning verbs into nouns: assess → assessment, decide → decision, implement → implementation. A fully nominalised passive: The implementation of the recommendations was considered. An active alternative: We considered implementing the recommendations. Both are formal; the nominalised passive is the most formal and the most distant. Heavy nominalisation + passive = very formal (policy and legal documents). Medium nominalisation + some passive = academic writing. Active + simple vocabulary = accessible formal writing. This spectrum helps teachers advise learners on appropriate register.
PASSIVE AND HEDGING IN ACADEMIC WRITING
Academic writing often hedges claims — signals that conclusions are tentative or that evidence is limited. The passive supports hedging: It has been suggested that... / It may be concluded that... These hedged passives combine passive reporting structures with modal verbs to signal appropriate academic caution. This is correct and expected academic practice. Learners who use it correctly sound more academically sophisticated than those who make direct, overconfident claims.
SHOULD + PASSIVE FOR FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS
One of the most useful passive structures in professional writing is should + be + past participle: Action should be taken. The policy should be reviewed. Resources should be allocated equitably. These allow writers to make strong institutional recommendations without specifying who must act. Should have been + past participle adds a retrospective element: The incident should have been reported. This performs a critique without naming anyone directly.
PASSIVE DECISIONS IN FORMAL WRITING - Does the sentence need institutional objectivity and impersonality? Use passive. - Is the agent unknown, obvious, or irrelevant to the reader? Passive (omit by). - Is there a modal obligation or recommendation? Modal passive (must/should + be + past participle). - Is the critique or regret about a past action? Perfect modal passive (should/could have been + past participle). - Is the agent known, relevant, and accountability matters? Active (or passive with by-phrase). - Is every sentence passive? Mix in active sentences for readability and clarity. - Does the passive obscure who is responsible in a context where this matters? Switch to active.
Choose the most appropriate form for each formal writing context.
Each sentence has a passive error or an inappropriate passive choice for the formal writing context described. Write a corrected version and explain the improvement.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — WHAT GOOD FORMAL WRITING LOOKS LIKE (8 minutes): Show learners two versions of the same formal paragraph — one entirely in active (with we/I), one entirely in passive, and one with a purposeful mix. Ask: which sounds most like a professional report? Which is hardest to read? Establish that the purposeful mix is usually best, and discuss why each passive in the good version is appropriate.
STEP 2 — MODAL PASSIVES (8 minutes): Present the main modal passive patterns: must be, should be, can be, could be, may be. Give three examples in school or professional contexts. Then introduce the perfect modal passive (should have been, could have been) for past critique. Ask learners to produce one sentence using each of three modal passive forms about their school context.
STEP 3 — EVASIVE PASSIVE IDENTIFICATION (8 minutes): Give learners a short paragraph from a fictional accountability report that uses passive to avoid naming responsible parties. Ask learners to identify which passives are appropriate and which are evasive. Ask them to rewrite the evasive ones using appropriate active constructions.
STEP 4 — EDITING FOR REGISTER AND READABILITY (8 minutes): Give learners a paragraph written entirely in active first person (we/I). Ask them to improve it for a formal report by converting appropriate sentences to passive — but not all of them. Discuss each conversion: is this the right choice? Is the agent still needed?
STEP 5 — WRITE A FORMAL PARAGRAPH (8 minutes): Ask learners to write six to eight sentences about their school's performance or a recent school event, as if for a formal report. They must include at least one modal passive, at least one passive reporting structure, and at least two active sentences. Swap with a partner who rates each passive: appropriate, evasive, or unnecessary.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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