Problem: IELTS writers overuse simple tenses — everything “is” or “was” — missing the precision continuous and passive forms provide. Answer in brief: present continuous has exactly five uses worth mastering, and passive forms across tenses handle every formal need; both fuse into stronger Task 1 and Task 2 paragraphs. This guide teaches both with a worked paragraph, and IELTS Grammar — Course 1 trains foundations across 22 topic sections.
Five uses of the present continuous
Happening now (“The population is growing rapidly”); temporary situations (“She is staying with relatives while…”); changing trends (“Costs are rising steadily” — Task 1 gold); annoying habits with always (“He is always leaving lights on” — rare in IELTS, know it); future arrangements (“The government is introducing…”). Task 1 overviews live on uses one and three; Task 2 examples use two and five. Five uses, each with its habitat.
Passive across tenses
Present (“is produced”), past (“was built”), perfect (“has been introduced”), future (“will be completed”), modal (“should be regulated”) — the full range for formal Task 2 writing. Passive suits processes, policies and trends (“Smoking is banned in…”, “The line was extended in…”); active suits opinions and examples. Formal paragraphs mix by function, never by habit.
Master both supervised? The full IELTS Grammar — Course 1 teaches present continuous uses with passive across tenses across 22 topic sections with 91 lessons and mock tests. Explore the course →
Fusing both into a paragraph
Task 1 overview model: continuous for trends (“is increasing”), passive for completed changes (“has been redeveloped”, “was opened”). Task 2 formal paragraph: passive for policies (“should be funded”), active for stance (“I believe…”). Fusion means function-switching per sentence — trend? continuous. Completed change? perfect passive. Opinion? active. Decide by function every time.
Worked paragraph: urban change description
Fictional paragraph, newly written: “The district is changing rapidly (continuous trend). The old market has been redeveloped into housing (perfect passive + relevance), while the canal, which was reopened in 2019 (past passive event), is attracting visitors (continuous result). Further development is planned for the northern edge (modal passive arrangement).” Four sentences, four functions — fusion demonstrated.
FAQs
Can stative verbs go continuous?
Rarely in IELTS: “is being” and “is having” (as actions) pass; “is knowing/liking” fail. When unsure, simple is safe — forced continuous statives are conspicuous faults.
How much passive in Task 2?
Two to four well-placed passives per essay. More obscures stance; stance is what Task 2 marks. Policies and trends earn passive; opinions stay active.
What is in the course?
Twenty-two topic sections on present continuous uses with passive across tenses, 91 lessons and 5 complete mock tests.
The matching course
IELTS Grammar — Course 1 builds foundations that transfer: continuous uses, full passive range, fused paragraphs — 22 topic sections, 91 lessons, 5 mock tests. If simple tenses cap your writing, expand here.
Sources and note
- IELTS format per the official IELTS site: ielts.org — Writing format (Task 1: 150+ words; Task 2: 250+ words). Check current guidance before the test.
- Course details verified from its public staging page (read-only): 22 topic sections, 91 lessons, 5 mock tests.
- Examples are newly written and fictional; other valid structures exist.
Put this into practice
Compare these course outlines and choose the practice that matches your next goal.
