Thirty multiple choice questions on active and passive voice, the fourth topic in the Grammar track, with an answer key at the end. No voice question appeared in the papers I could extract or recover, so every question here is built to the AAI pattern.
30questions
35 minsuggested time
0verified PYQs
MCQformat throughout
Score0 correct · 0 of 30 attempted
Before you begin
Formulas you will need
Key formulas
Every passive is a form of be + past participle — only the be changes with the tense Present simple: is/are done · Present continuous: is being done · Present perfect: has been done Past simple: was/were done · Past continuous: was being done · Past perfect: had been done Future: will be done · Modal: should be done · Imperative: Let it be done
How to use this worksheet. Only the be changes with the tense — the past participle never does. And a sentence can be made passive only if it has an object, which is why intransitive verbs such as sleep and arrive have no passive at all.
Section A · Level 1
Recognising and forming the passive
Ten questions. Look for a form of be plus a past participle.
Q1
In the active voice, the subject of the sentence:
In the active voice the subject does the action. In the passive it receives it.
Q2
Which of these sentences is in the passive voice?
The passive uses a form of be plus a past participle: was chased.
Q3
The passive voice is formed using:
Every passive construction is a form of be followed by the past participle, whatever the tense.
Q4
In a passive sentence, the doer of the action is introduced by:
The agent follows by, as in written by Tagore. It may be left out entirely if it is unknown or unimportant.
Q5
Change to the passive. The teacher praised the student.
The active past simple becomes was praised, and the original subject moves after by.
Q6
Change to the passive. She writes a letter.
The present simple active becomes is written in the passive. Note that she becomes her after the preposition.
Q7
Change to the passive. They are building a bridge.
The present continuous passive is is being + past participle.
Q8
Change to the passive. He has completed the work.
The present perfect passive is has been + past participle.
Q9
Change to the active. The letter was posted by Ravi.
Moving back to the active, the agent becomes the subject and the tense stays past simple.
Q10
Which sentence cannot be changed into the passive voice?
Only sentences with an object can be made passive. Sleeps is intransitive and takes no object, so it has no passive form.
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Section B · Level 2
The passive across every tense
Ten questions. Change the tense of be and leave the participle alone.
Q11
Change to the passive. The gardener waters the plants daily.
A plural subject in the present simple passive takes are + past participle.
Q12
Change to the passive. Someone stole my bicycle.
When the agent is unknown, by someone is normally dropped. This is one of the main reasons the passive exists.
Q13
Change to the passive. They will announce the results tomorrow.
The simple future passive is will be + past participle.
Q14
Change to the passive. He had finished the report.
The past perfect passive is had been + past participle.
Q15
Change to the passive. Open the door.
An imperative becomes passive as Let + object + be + past participle.
Q16
Change to the passive. Who wrote this letter?
In a who question the passive begins with By whom, and the auxiliary comes before the subject.
Q17
Change to the passive. She was singing a song.
The past continuous passive is was being + past participle.
Q18
Change to the passive. People say he is honest.
Reporting verbs such as say, believe and think take the pattern He is said to be.
Q19
Change to the active. The house is being painted by the workers.
Is being painted corresponds to the present continuous active, are painting.
Q20
In which situation is the passive voice most appropriate?
The passive is preferred in scientific and official writing precisely because the action matters more than who performed it.
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Section C · Level 3
Error spotting, imperatives and double objects
Ten questions. Watch for the -ing form where a participle belongs.
Q21
Spot the error. The work was completing by the team yesterday.
The passive needs a past participle, so it should be was completed. Using the -ing form here is the commonest passive error.
Q22
Spot the error. A new bridge is build across the river.
It must be is built. The bare base form can never follow is in a passive.
Q23
Choose the correct passive form. They have sold the car.
Present perfect passive is has been + past participle.
Q24
Choose the correct passive form. The chef is preparing the meal.
Present continuous passive is is being + past participle.
Q25
Choose the correct active form. The window was broken by the boy.
Was broken maps back to the simple past active, broke.
Q26
Which tense has no passive form in normal use?
The future continuous passive (will be being done) is so clumsy that it is avoided in practice.
Q27
Change to the passive. The committee has approved the proposal.
Present perfect passive requires has been approved.
Q28
Change to the passive. Do not touch the wires.
A negative imperative becomes Let … not be + past participle.
Q29
Change to the passive. She gave me a gift.
A verb with two objects allows two passive forms, one starting from each object. Both are perfectly correct English.
Q30
Change to the passive. One should keep promises.
With a modal the passive is modal + be + past participle.
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Answer key
Answers
Check only after you have attempted every question. Tap any question above to see the full explanation.
All thirty questions with the formula sheet printed on the front page and ruled working space for your circuit reductions. Print it, solve it, keep it.
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