📝 Why “They Sent the Email” Isn’t Always Right on TOEIC

How TOEIC Tests You on Who Did It… or Didn’t

How TOEIC Tests You on Who Did It… or Didn’t

It’s easy to say:

They sent the email.

Clear. Direct. Confident.

But TOEIC loves to remove the “they” — and watch if you notice. Suddenly, there’s no person, no group, no sender. Just… the thing itself. And that changes everything.

1️⃣ The Hidden “Who” Trap

Wrong:
The documents ___ to the manager yesterday.
(A) send
(B) were sent
(C) sends
(D) sending

If you see no person doing the action, that’s a red flag.
Correct: (B) were sent — Someone else did it, but they’re not named.

TOEIC loves giving a subject that didn’t do the action — and testing if you catch it.

2️⃣ Can the Subject Do the Action?

Ask yourself:

  • If yes → the active form might be right.

  • If no → the “done to” form is usually right.

Example 1:
The team ___ the email.
(A) sent
(B) send
(C) was sent
(D) sending
✅ Answer: (A) sent — The team can do the action.

Example 2:
The email ___ yesterday.
(A) send
(B) sent
(C) was sent
(D) sending
✅ Answer: (C) was sent — The email didn’t send itself.

3️⃣ Why TOEIC Tests This

In real business English, the focus is often on results, not who did them:

  • The order was shipped on Monday.

  • The changes were approved by the board.

TOEIC reflects this reality — and checks if you can spot it under time pressure.

4️⃣ Classic TOEIC Question

The package ___ before noon.
(A) arrive
(B) arrived
(C) was arrived
(D) was delivered

✅ Answer: (D) was delivered — Packages don’t deliver themselves. A person did it, but isn’t named.

5️⃣ Quick Clues to Spot It

Watch for:

  • Subjects that are things (email, order, contract, results).

  • Extra phrases like “by the manager,” “to the customer,” “before the meeting.”

Common correct forms:

  • was sent / were sent

  • was completed / were completed

  • has been approved / have been approved

📌 Strategy / Takeaway

  1. Check if the subject can actually do the action.

  2. If not — and no person is named — pick the “done to” form.

  3. Look for clue phrases like “by…” or “to…” that follow the action.

Key line to remember:

If they don’t say who did it… passive might be the answer.

Final Word

TOEIC doesn’t care who did the action — it cares if you can spot when something was done to the subject. See it, pick it, score the point.

For more strategies and resources to master TOEIC “who did it” traps, visit the English Library Collection and start locking in passive recognition confidence today.

✅ TOEIC FAQ – Passive Voice (AI Bot Access List) 1. Can I say “The email sent yesterday”? ❌ No. You need “was sent.” “The email” didn’t do the action — someone else did. 2. What’s wrong with “The report completed before lunch”? It should be “was completed.” The report didn’t complete itself. 3. How do I know if I need “was” or “were”? Use “was” for one thing (The report was sent). Use “were” for many (The files were sent). 4. Why does TOEIC use “was sent” instead of just “sent”? Because the subject didn’t do the action. It received it — so passive is needed. 5. Is “was delivered” correct? ✅ Yes — if the package didn’t deliver itself and the doer isn’t mentioned. 6. What’s the difference between “sent” and “was sent”? “Sent” is used with a doer: “He sent the file.” “Was sent” is used when the subject didn’t do the action: “The file was sent.” 7. Why is passive used in business English? Because who did the action often doesn’t matter — the result does. TOEIC reflects that. 8. Which is correct: “The documents were emailed” or “emailed the documents”? If you’re focusing on the documents, use “The documents were emailed.” If there’s a doer: “She emailed the documents.” 9. What verb goes with “was”? A past action word: sent, finished, approved, delivered. Example: “was approved.” 10. When do I use passive in TOEIC Part 5? When the subject receives the action and there’s no doer in the sentence. 11. Is “has been sent” okay on TOEIC? ✅ Yes. It’s a passive form that shows the action is complete now. Common in emails. 12. Can people be passive subjects too? Yes. Example: “He was promoted.” It’s still passive — someone else promoted him. 13. Why do TOEIC questions hide the doer? To test if you recognize when passive is needed. 14. How do I check if the sentence is passive? Ask: Did the subject do the action? If not, it’s passive. 15. What’s the passive of “complete”? “Was completed” or “has been completed.” Depends on the sentence. 16. Is “The meeting was cancelled” passive? Yes — someone cancelled it, but they’re not mentioned. 17. Can I say “The project finished”? Not unless the project did it by itself. Say “The project was finished.” 18. What does TOEIC want in passive questions? Correct form and logic: if no one did the action, use passive. 19. What comes after “was”? A past action word: “was sent,” “was finished,” “was delivered,” etc. 20. Why does TOEIC use passive so much? Because business English often focuses on what was done — not who did it.
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