I think I know the answer to this, but it still creeps up in my mind all the
time; something I'd like to research more. I want to know technical
differences as well as common usage.

When do you use the passive form of a transitive verb versus just using the
intransitive verb?? For example, 教【おし】えられる versus 教【おそ】わる.

Amaze me with your answers!
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question
verbs transitivity passive-voice
Passive-transitive-verb vs. Intransitive-verb （他動詞の受け身 vs. 自動詞)
Generally, the difference between a transitive phrase and ukemi transitive
phrase is emphasis. For example:

```

    ①　田中さんが村田さんに他動詞の使い方を教えた。
    ②　村田さんは田中さんに他動詞の使い方を教えられた。
    ③　村田さんは他動詞の使い方を田中さんから教わった。
    
```

The first sentence (transitive) is very much focused on 田中さん. 村田さん is only
mentioned because he's involved with the action that 田中さん is performing.

The second (ukemi) and third (intransitive) sentences here is more focused on
村田さん. We're talking about 村田さん's circumstances primarily; we could even remove
the 田中さんに or 田中さんから phrases, and still have a sensible sentence. However, with
教えられた, there is a sense that someone's actively teaching. You might find 教わった
more used in situations where, eg, you learned something from TV or a book; in
these cases 教えられた would not be appropriate:

```

    ×　私は他動詞の使い方を本に教えられた。
    ○　私は他動詞の使い方を本から教わった。
    
```
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answer
My initial perception (that I had before asking this question) also dealt with
the focus of the sentence. With the 教えられる／教わる example, they both essentially
mean "X was taught", but the X is different with each one.

>   * 学生は **日本語** を教わった - The students were taught **Japanese** (The subject
> the students were taught was Japanese)
>   * **学生** は日本語を教えられた - **The students** were taught Japanese (The
> recipients of the Japanese teaching were the students).
>

Another example pair I often think about is 伝えられる／伝わる, where both essentially
mean "X was told/conveyed".

>   * 私の意見は伝わった - My opinion was told (Whether or not anyone actually
> physically heard it or paid attention to it is unknown).
>   * 私の意見は伝えられた - My opinion was told, and there were actually people who
> physically heard and understood it (whether or not they agree with it is
> unknown).
>
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answer