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Unmasking the passive voice a 15 question linguistic expedition

You can do this test before using the book to help you choose what to
study. Choose the correct answer, A, B or C, for each question. When
you have finished, check your answers by clicking "Check Answers"
button. The key tells you which units are most important for you.

1. The cake ____ by my sister.

A. was baked

B. baked

C. is baking

The passive voice uses 'be' + past participle. 'Was baked' correctly uses the past passive form.

2. The letter ____ yesterday.

A. was sent

B. sent

C. is sending

'Was sent' is the correct past passive form, indicating a completed action in the past.

3. Which sentence is in the passive voice?

A. The dog chased the ball.

B. The ball was chased by the dog.

C. The dog is chasing the ball.

D. The ball chases the dog.

The passive voice emphasizes the action's recipient, not the doer. 'The ball was chased...' highlights the ball's experience.

4. The house ____ next year.

A. will be painted

B. will paint

C. is painting

Future passive uses 'will be' + past participle. 'Will be painted' correctly indicates a future passive action.

5. The problem ____ easily.

A. can be solved

B. can solve

C. is solving

Modal verbs like 'can' are followed by 'be' + past participle in the passive voice.

6. Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice in the present perfect tense?

A. The work has been completed.

B. The work has completed.

C. The work is completed.

D. The work was completed.

Present perfect passive uses 'has/have been' + past participle. 'Has been completed' shows a completed action affecting the present.

7. The movie ____ tomorrow.

A. will be shown

B. will show

C. shows

The future passive tense is formed using 'will be' + past participle.

8. The song ____ by millions.

A. is listened to

B. listens to

C. is listening to

The present passive uses 'is/are/am' + past participle. 'Is listened to' correctly shows the song as the recipient of the action.

9. Which sentence is grammatically incorrect?

A. The book was written by a famous author.

B. The cake is being eaten.

C. The letter is wrote yesterday.

D. The car was repaired.

'Wrote' is the past tense of 'write'. The passive requires the past participle 'written'.

10. The flowers ____ every morning.

A. are watered

B. water

C. waters

The present passive uses 'is/are/am' + past participle. 'Are watered' correctly describes a repeated action.

11. The test ____ next week.

A. will be graded

B. will grade

C. grades

Future passive uses 'will be' + past participle.

12. Which sentence uses the passive voice correctly with a modal verb?

A. The work must be done.

B. The work must do.

C. The work must to be done.

D. The work must doing.

Modal verbs + 'be' + past participle form the passive voice correctly.

13. The bridge ____ in 1920.

A. was built

B. built

C. is building

The past passive is formed with 'was/were' + past participle.

14. The article ____ by John Smith.

A. was written

B. wrote

C. is writing

The past passive uses 'was/were' + past participle.

15. Which sentence is in the passive voice and uses the present continuous tense?

A. The house is being painted.

B. The painter is painting the house.

C. The house was painted.

D. The house will be painted.

Present continuous passive uses 'is/are/am being' + past participle.

Topics:

Present tenses

Past tenses 1

Present perfect

Present tenses 2

Future 1

Future 2

Countable and uncountable nouns

Referring to nouns

Pronouns and referencing

Adjectives and adverbs

Comparing things

The noun pharse

Modals 1

Modals 2

Reported speech

Verb + verb patterns

Likelihood based on conditions 1

Likelihood based on conditions 2

Presositions

Relative clauses

Ways of organising texts

The passive

Linking ideas

Showing your position in a text

Nominalisation in written English