Academic Writing

See 
Unit 2.13
Style
Passives
UNIT
2.9
The passive form is a feature of much academic writing, making it more impersonal
and formal, but the passive should not be overused. This unit provides practice in
developing a balanced style.

---

2 Structure
All passive structures have two parts:
䊏
Change the following into the passive.
(a) We collected the data and compared the two groups.
(b) I interviewed 120 people in three social classes.
(c) They checked the results and found several errors.
(d) We will make an analysis of the findings.
(e) He asked four doctors to give their opinions.
(f) She wrote the report and distributed ten copies.
3 Using adverbs
An adverb can be inserted in a passive form to add information:
This process is commonly called ‘networking’.
䊏
Change the following sentences from active to passive and insert a suitable adverb
from the box below. Decide if it is necessary to show a cause.
122
Part 2:
Elements of Writing
Form of the verb to be
Past participle
is
constructed
was
developed
will be
reorganised
optimistically helpfully punctually accurately
eventually carefully profitably
Example:
The recession forced half the companies to go out of business.
Half the companies were eventually forced to go out of business by
the recession.
(a) The Connors family ran the company until 1981.
(b) Dr Weber has predicted that prisons will be unnecessary in the future.

---

(c) They provided pencils for all students in the exam.

(d) The researchers calculated the percentages to three decimal places.
(e) The students handed in the essays on Tuesday morning.
(f) She researched the life cycle of over 15 types of mice.
4 Practice A
In most texts, the active and the passive are mixed.
䊏
Read the following and underline the passive forms.
2.9: Passives
123
BOOTS
When John Boot died at 45, he was worn out by the effort of establishing his herbal
medicine business. He had spent his early years as a farm labourer but had worked
his way up to be the owner of a substantial business. He was born in 1815, became a
member of a Methodist chapel in Nottingham, and later moved to the town. John
was concerned by the situation of the poor, who could not afford a doctor, and in
1849 he opened a herbal medicine shop which was called the British and American
Botanic Establishment. In the early stages John was helped financially by his father
in law, while his mother provided herbal knowledge.
On his death in 1860 the business was taken over by his wife, and she was soon
assisted by their 10-year-old son, Jesse. He quickly showed the business ability that
transformed his father’s shop into a national business. Jesse opened more shops in
poor districts and pioneered advertising methods. He also insisted on doing
business in cash, rather than offering his customers credit.
5 Practice B
䊏
List the passives from the text above in the table below. Decide if the active could be
used instead, and rewrite it if so.