Passive structure and use of personal pronouns in WT2

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naveed.ahmed
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:06 am

Passive structure and use of personal pronouns in WT2

Post by naveed.ahmed »

Dear David,

Can you please let us know what difference does it make to use passive structure or personal pronoun when stating one's own experience.

As per my understanding questions like "Do you agree/disagree?" or "In your opinion...." must be answered using personal pronouns like "I believe that...." instead of "it is believed that...."

Please let us know that as an examiner what difference does it make when grading the writing?

Regards,
Naveed
David.IELTS.Examiner
IELTS Examiner
IELTS Examiner
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 4:34 am

Re: Passive structure and use of personal pronouns in WT2

Post by David.IELTS.Examiner »

Hi Naveed!
Good question! Yes, when giving your personal opinion, e.g. in the conclusion, you need to use 'I'. However, through the essay you can use both, with 'it is believed' or 'many people believe' for instance. The passive is not required, but is commonly used in academic writing.
All the best,
David
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