passive voice in task 1

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znack
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Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 8:49 pm

passive voice in task 1

Post by znack »

Hi members of ielts community!

I have one quesion which is really bother me. In many academic articles, there is a stront opinion about using incessantly the passive voice.
However,if we will look at Ryan's suggestions,it will be clear that he has used it all the time!
So it is a highly controversial topic to me and I would appreciate if anyone can help me with answer.

Looking forward to yours comments!
Thank you
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Ryan
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Re: passive voice in task 1

Post by Ryan »

Hi Znack,

Did you perhaps mean "he hasn't used it very much" when referring to my use of passive voice in my Task 1 responses?

There is no real silver bullet for the writing exam. At the end of the day, the examiner wants to see if you can accurately reproduce your data source as written English. Academic tone will help you achieve a better band, but this does not mean the entire response has to be written in passive English.
znack
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 8:49 pm

Re: passive voice in task 1

Post by znack »

Hi Ryan,

I relly appreciate what you do for all of us.
However,may I present one of your essay to show what i mean?

Take one essay,for example:

A practice that has spanned across all cultures and countries throughout history is the domestication of animals. Today, living with a pet is a very common occurrence. It is argued that several benefits derive from living with animals. This will be proven by looking at the manner in which animals both provide companionship to the lonely and teach the importance of responsibility to children.
Firstly, living with animals provides companionship to people who are lonely, and this catalyzes healthful results. For example, a study in the US revealed that widowed cat or dog owners tended to live longer than other widowed people living without pets. As this example shows, the link between pet ownership and longevity can be seen. Thus, it is clear that living with a pet enhances a person’s life.
In addition to the above, children who live with pets learn how to be responsible at a very young age. For example, my nephew spent the first 15 years of his life caring for a family dog. Such an experience taught him the importance of maintaining routine, and I feel this pushed him to develop the healthy study regimen that resulted in his acceptance to a good university. Therefore, living with animals can fortify a person’s ability to act responsibly.
Following this look, it can be concluded that pet ownership can simultaneously discourage loneliness and encourage maturity. The positive nature of these benefits makes it clear that living with an animal enhances a person’s life. It is hoped more people choose pets as a part of their lifestyle.

Thus,I am confused by two passive voice sentences in a row in the introduction and the conclusion.
Could you provide another way to estimate future in the last sentence instead of the passive voice?
Is it academically possible to use a personal pronounce in this case? Therefore,we should choose pets as a part of our lifestyle.
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