Perbedaan Dasar (Quick Reference)
Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object
Example: “The cat chased the mouse”
Passive Voice: Object + be + Past Participle (+ by + Subject)
Example: “The mouse was chased by the cat”
5 Kesalahan Fatal Passive Voice
Mistake #1: Missing “be” in passive
❌ “The house built in 1990”
✅ “The house was built in 1990”
Kenapa fatal: Tanpa “be”, ini bukan passive voice, ini sentence fragment! Kalimat tidak complete.
Formula: be (is/am/are/was/were) + V3
Common di: Present: is/are + V3, Past: was/were + V3, Future: will be + V3
Mistake #2: Using passive when active is better
❌ “The ball was kicked by John” (unnecessary passive)
✅ “John kicked the ball” (clear & direct)
Rule: Jangan pakai passive kalau tidak ada alasan spesifik. Active lebih natural dalam most situations.
Reality check: 80% writing seharusnya active. Passive hanya untuk situations tertentu (dijelaskan di bawah).
Mistake #3: Wrong tense in passive
❌ “The email is sent yesterday”
✅ “The email was sent yesterday”
Tense agreement:
– Present: is/are + V3
– Past: was/were + V3
– Future: will be + V3
– Present Perfect: has/have been + V3
Mistake #4: Overusing passive (especially in IELTS)
❌ “The book was read by me. The notes were taken by me. The summary was written by me.”
✅ “I read the book, took notes, and wrote a summary.”
IELTS myth: “Passive = higher score” ❌
Reality: Natural mix of active and passive = higher score ✅
Too much passive = awkward, unnatural = lower score!
Mistake #5: Forgetting “by” or using it wrong
❌ “The book was written from Shakespeare”
✅ “The book was written by Shakespeare”
Rule: Use “by” untuk agent (pelaku). Tapi sering kali “by” phrase tidak perlu!
Better: “The book was written in 1600” (no need untuk mention obvious author)
Kapan HARUS Pakai Passive? (4 Situations)
Situation 1: Doer (pelaku) tidak diketahui
✅ “My car was stolen last night”
Why passive: Kamu tidak tahu siapa yang mencuri. Passive = natural choice.
❌ “Someone stole my car” (less natural kalau emphasis pada mobil)
Situation 2: Doer obvious/tidak penting
✅ “The President was elected in 2024”
Why passive: Jelas yang memilih adalah voters. Tidak perlu mention.
✅ “The building was constructed in 1950”
(Siapa yang construct tidak relevan)
Situation 3: Scientific/Academic writing
✅ “The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions”
Why passive: Focus on process, bukan researcher. Academic tone = impersonal.
✅ “The samples were analyzed using spectroscopy”
Situation 4: Emphasizing the action/result
✅ “English is spoken worldwide”
Why passive: Yang penting adalah fact (English widespread), bukan speakers-nya.
✅ “Over 1000 tickets were sold in the first hour”
(Focus on impressive result, bukan who sold)
Practice: Transform Active ↔ Passive
Transform: “Shakespeare wrote Hamlet”
Passive: “Hamlet was written by Shakespeare”
When to use: Kalau focus on Hamlet (the play), bukan Shakespeare.
Example context: “Hamlet was written by Shakespeare in 1600 and is considered one of the greatest plays.” (discussing the play’s history)
Note: Dalam most contexts, active lebih natural: “Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1600.”
Transform: “The company will launch the product next month”
Passive: “The product will be launched next month”
When to use: Marketing materials focusing on the product, not the company.
Note: Future passive = will be + V3
Without agent: “The product will be launched next month” (no “by the company” needed – obvious)
Transform: “Someone has taken my phone”
Passive: “My phone has been taken”
When to use: More natural karena “someone” tidak specific. Emphasis on phone missing.
Note: Present perfect passive = has/have been + V3
Usage: Reporting theft/loss where doer unknown
Transform: “They are building a new hospital”
Passive: “A new hospital is being built”
When to use: News reports, announcements focusing on the hospital.
Note: Present continuous passive = is/are being + V3
Example: “A new hospital is being built in the city center and will open next year.”
Transform: “The teacher should explain the lesson clearly”
Passive: “The lesson should be explained clearly (by the teacher)”
Note: Modal passive = modal + be + V3
Other modals: can be done, must be finished, might be changed
Usage: Instructions, requirements, recommendations
Transform (Passive to Active): “The report was written by the team”
Active: “The team wrote the report”
When to use active: Kalau doer (team) penting dan kamu want to emphasize who did it.
Rule: If “by + agent” is important info, consider using active voice instead.
All Tenses in Passive Voice
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes emails | Emails are written (by her) |
| Simple Past | She wrote an email | An email was written |
| Simple Future | She will write an email | An email will be written |
| Present Continuous | She is writing an email | An email is being written |
| Past Continuous | She was writing an email | An email was being written |
| Present Perfect | She has written an email | An email has been written |
| Past Perfect | She had written an email | An email had been written |
| Modal (can/must) | She can write emails | Emails can be written |
IELTS Writing: Active vs Passive Strategy
Common IELTS Myth vs Reality
Myth: “Passive voice = higher band score” ❌
Reality: Appropriate mix of active and passive = higher score ✅
Too much passive = awkward and unnatural = LOWER score!
IELTS Task 1 Guidelines:
Process Diagram (70-80% Passive):
✅ “The raw materials are collected and transported to the factory. They are then processed and packaged.”
Why: Process descriptions focus on steps, not agents.
Graph/Chart (70-80% Active):
✅ “The graph shows that sales increased significantly. The number of users rose from 1000 to 5000.”
Why: Describing data trends = active more natural.
Map (50-50 Mix):
✅ “A new hospital was built in the north. The park expanded to include a lake.”
Why: Mix passive (for constructions) and active (for changes).
IELTS Task 2 Guidelines (Essay):
Recommended ratio: 60% Active, 40% Passive
Use Passive for:
- General statements: “It is believed that…”
- Reporting opinions: “It has been argued that…”
- Describing processes: “The law was introduced in 2010”
Use Active for:
- Your opinions: “I believe that…”
- Clear arguments: “This approach solves the problem”
- Examples: “Many countries implemented this policy”
Common Passive Patterns in Academic Writing
Reporting Verbs (Passive):
- It is believed that…
- It has been argued that…
- It is generally accepted that…
- It has been suggested that…
- It is widely recognized that…
- It can be seen that…
When NOT to Use Passive:
- Personal opinions: “I think” NOT “It is thought by me”
- Clear actions: “The government should act” NOT “Action should be taken by the government”
- Narrative/stories: Active usually better for storytelling
Advanced: Passive Without Agent
When to Omit “by + agent”
1. Agent is obvious:
✅ “The President was elected in 2024” (obviously by voters)
❌ “The President was elected by voters” (redundant)
2. Agent is unknown:
✅ “My wallet was stolen” (don’t know who)
3. Agent is not important:
✅ “The building was constructed in 1950” (builders not relevant)
4. Agent is “people in general”:
✅ “English is spoken worldwide” (by people – obvious)
Real-World Examples by Context
News Headlines (Often Passive):
- “New Law Passed to Protect Environment”
- “Suspect Arrested in Connection with Robbery”
- “Record Broken by Indonesian Athlete”
Scientific Papers (Heavy Passive):
- “The samples were collected from three locations”
- “The data was analyzed using statistical methods”
- “It was observed that temperature affected the results”
Business Communication (Mixed):
- Active: “We will launch the product next month”
- Passive: “The meeting has been scheduled for Friday”
- Active: “Please submit your report by tomorrow”
- Passive: “All documents must be submitted by 5 PM”
Common Mistakes by Indonesian Speakers
Mistake: Translating “dibuat” literally
Indonesian: “Rumah ini dibuat tahun 1990”
❌ “This house made in 1990”
✅ “This house was made in 1990”
Remember: Passive MUST have “be”!
Mistake: Using passive for personal actions
❌ “The book was read by me yesterday”
✅ “I read the book yesterday”
Rule: For personal actions, active is almost always better and more natural.
Quick Decision: Active or Passive?
- Apakah saya tahu siapa pelakunya? → NO = Consider passive
- Apakah pelaku penting untuk disebutkan? → NO = Consider passive
- Apakah ini scientific/formal writing? → YES = Consider passive
- Apakah focus saya pada result/action? → YES = Consider passive
If you answer YES to question 2: Use active!
If you answer NO to all: Passive might be appropriate
