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Passive structure and use of personal pronouns in WT2

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:30 am
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

Re: Passive structure and use of personal pronouns in WT2

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 5:42 am
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