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

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

💡 The Problem Learners Face

You’ve probably said this hundreds of times:
“They sent the email.”
It feels clear, active, confident.

But then TOEIC throws you a curveball:
The sentence has no “they.”
No sender. No subject. Just… “The email.”

And suddenly, what used to be easy becomes a test trap.

Here’s what TOEIC does — and why so many learners get it wrong.
It’s not about hard words. It’s about spotting who’s doing the action… or if anyone is.

Let’s walk through it, step by step.

🚨 The Trap: TOEIC Hides the “Who”

Imagine this scene.

You’re at work. You walk by the printer and see a report.
You ask, “Who printed this?”

No answer.

But your colleague says, “The report was printed this morning.”
Boom — there’s your answer, even if the person is missing.

TOEIC loves that kind of sentence.

The documents ___ to the manager yesterday.

Now here’s what happens in the test.

A lot of learners think:
“Okay, it’s in the past. I need a verb. Probably send.”
So they choose:

❌ (A) send

But the sentence doesn’t say who did the action.
That’s your red flag.

When the subject — like “The documents” — didn’t do the action, and no person is named, TOEIC is testing passive.

✔ Correct: (B) were sent

That tiny detail — no “who” — is the trap

🔍 The Real Clue: Look at the Subject

Here’s how you know what’s going on.

Ask yourself:
Can the subject actually do this action?

If yes → active might be right.
If no → passive is usually correct.

Example 1:
“The team sent the email.”
→ “The team” is a person or group of people. They can do something.
✅ Active works here.

Example 2:
“The email was sent.”
→ “The email” didn’t do anything. Someone sent it.
✅ Passive is the right choice.

That’s the trick TOEIC uses: they give you a subject that can’t do the verb — and see if you catch it.
TOEIC will almost never write:

“The email send…”
That’s not just wrong. It’s a classic trap for people who are translating from their first language or rushing through.

🧪 Real TOEIC Logic: Why They Do This

Why does TOEIC hide the “who”?

Because business English isn’t always about people.
It’s about results, actions, and responsibility.

Think of a real office email:

“The order was shipped on Monday.”
“The changes were approved by the board.”

Nobody says “John shipped the order” if John isn’t the focus.
TOEIC reflects that — and tests it hard.

Look at this:

The package ___ before noon.

(A) arrive
(B) arrived
(C) was arrived
(D) was delivered

You might jump at (B) “arrived,” but that means the package did it itself.
Packages don’t deliver themselves. People do it.

✔ Correct: (D) was delivered

🔧 Fix This Forever: One Simple Question

TOEIC will show you sentences like:

  • The email ___

  • The report ___

  • The contract ___

  • The results ___

Each time, ask:

👉 Did the subject do the action? Or did something happen to the subject?

If someone else did it, and that person isn’t named, TOEIC expects passive.

🧠 Key Line to Remember

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

🟢 Quick Recap

🟥 Watch for subjects like:

  • the email

  • the documents

  • the order

  • the files
    These things don’t act — they get acted on.

🟡 Clue phrases:

  • by the manager

  • to the customer

  • before the meeting
    These often follow passive.

✅ Correct form:

  • was sent

  • were completed

  • has been approved
    (Always: be + past form)

TOEIC doesn’t care who did it. It cares if you can spot it.

That’s the test.

✅ 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.