Active and Passive Voice Practice Test — Intermediate

All 45 questions with answers

Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.

1. Q1The room ___ right now, so please come back later.

   Ais being cleaned Bhas been cleaned Cis cleaned Dwas cleaned

   Answer: A. is being cleaned

   The phrase 'right now' indicates an action currently in progress. We use the present continuous passive, formed with 'am/is/are + being + past participle'. 'Is cleaned' is present simple and describes a habit, not a specific ongoing event.

2. Q2The car ___ when the accident happened yesterday.

   Awas being repaired Bis being repaired Cwill be repaired Dhad been repaired

   Answer: A. was being repaired

   This requires the past continuous passive ('was/were being + past participle') because the action was in progress at a specific moment in the past ('when the accident happened'). 'Had been repaired' would imply the work was finished before the accident occurred.

3. Q3The documents ___ by the manager already.

   Aare being sent Bwere being sent Cwill be sent Dhave been sent

   Answer: D. have been sent

   The word 'already' signals a completed action with a present result, requiring the present perfect passive ('has/have been + past participle'). 'Are being sent' implies the action is still happening, which contradicts the context clue 'already'.

4. Q4By the time we arrived, the dinner ___.

   Ais being finished Bis finished Chas been finished Dhad been finished

   Answer: D. had been finished

   The phrase 'By the time we arrived' (past simple) indicates that the dinner was finished even earlier. This requires the past perfect passive ('had been + past participle'). 'Has been finished' is incorrect because it relates to the present.

5. Q5The conference ___ in the main hall next week.

   Ais holding Bwill be held Cwas held Dhas been held

   Answer: B. will be held

   'Next week' signals a future event, so we use the future simple passive ('will be + past participle'). 'Is holding' is active voice, which is illogical here because a conference cannot 'hold' itself.

6. Q6A new bridge ___ across the river at the moment.

   Ahas been built Bwas built Cwill be built Dis being built

   Answer: D. is being built

   'At the moment' indicates an ongoing action, which requires the present continuous passive ('is being + past participle'). 'Was built' and 'has been built' refer to completed actions, not one currently in progress.

7. Q7While the project ___, we noticed a major error.

   Awill be discussed Bis discussed Cwas being discussed Dhas been discussed

   Answer: C. was being discussed

   The word 'while' suggests an action was in progress. Since 'noticed' is in the past simple, we use the past continuous passive ('was/were being + past participle') to show the background action. 'Is discussed' is present tense and does not match the past context.

8. Q8My bicycle ___ from the garage sometime this morning.

   Ais being stolen Bhas been stolen Cwas being stolen Dwill be stolen

   Answer: B. has been stolen

   We use the present perfect passive ('has/have been + past participle') to describe a past event when the focus is on the present result (the bike is missing). 'Was being stolen' would imply we watched the theft happen in progress.

9. Q9The doors ___ before the alarm went off.

   Ahave been locked Bwill be locked Chad been locked Dare being locked

   Answer: C. had been locked

   The sentence describes an action completed before another event in the past ('before the alarm went off'). This sequence requires the past perfect passive ('had been + past participle'). 'Have been locked' cannot be used for a sequence entirely in the past.

10. Q10The final results ___ tomorrow morning.

    Awere announced Bannounced Chave been announced Dwill be announced

    Answer: D. will be announced

    'Tomorrow morning' indicates the future, so the future simple passive ('will be + past participle') is required. 'Announced' is active voice and missing the necessary auxiliary 'be'.

11. Q11Which sentence is correct?

    AThe museum has been opened next year. BThe museum is being open next year. CThe museum will be opened next year. DThe museum was opened next year.

    Answer: C. The museum will be opened next year.

    'Next year' requires a future tense. 'Will be opened' is the future simple passive. 'Was opened' is past tense, and 'is being open' is grammatically incorrect because 'open' is used as an adjective/base verb instead of the past participle 'opened'.

12. Q12Which sentence is correct?

    AThe report is being typed yesterday. BThe report has been typed yesterday. CThe report is typed yesterday. DThe report was typed yesterday.

    Answer: D. The report was typed yesterday.

    'Yesterday' is a finished past time marker, which requires the past simple passive ('was/were + past participle'). The present perfect 'has been typed' cannot be used with specific points in the past like 'yesterday'.

13. Q13Which sentence is correct?

    AThe cake has been ate by the dog. BThe cake was ate by the dog. CThe cake was being eaten by the dog. DThe cake is being ate by the dog.

    Answer: C. The cake was being eaten by the dog.

    In any passive construction, you must use the past participle. 'Eaten' is the past participle of 'eat'. 'Ate' is the past simple form and is always incorrect in passive structures like 'was ate' or 'has been ate'.

14. Q14Which sentence is correct?

    AThe reports are being send to the board. BThe reports will be send to the board. CThe reports were being send to the board. DThe reports have been sent to the board.

    Answer: D. The reports have been sent to the board.

    Passive forms require the past participle. 'Sent' is the past participle of 'send'. Options like 'are being send' or 'will be send' are incorrect because they use the base form 'send' instead of the participle.

15. Q15Which sentence is correct?

    AThe letter had been written before he left. BThe letter was been wrote before he left. CThe letter will be wrote before he left. DThe letter has been wrote before he left.

    Answer: A. The letter had been written before he left.

    We use the past perfect passive ('had been + past participle') for an action finished before another past action ('before he left'). 'Written' is the past participle; 'wrote' is the past simple and is never used in the passive voice.

16. Q16The report ___ by the end of the day.

    Amust be submitting Bmust being submitted Cmust be submitted Dmust submit

    Answer: C. must be submitted

    This is a modal passive. The structure is 'modal + be + past participle'. 'Must be submitted' follows this rule. 'Must submit' is active voice and 'must be submitting' is a continuous form that doesn't fit a completion deadline.

17. Q17The error ___ immediately.

    Ashould corrected Bshould be corrected Cshould correct Dshould be correcting

    Answer: B. should be corrected

    To give a recommendation in the passive voice, use 'should + be + past participle'. 'Should be corrected' is the correct form. 'Should correct' is active voice, which would imply the error itself is doing the correcting.

18. Q18Information ___ on the company website.

    Acan found Bcan being found Ccan finding Dcan be found

    Answer: D. can be found

    To express possibility in the passive, use the modal passive 'can + be + past participle'. 'Can be found' is correct. 'Can found' is missing the auxiliary 'be', and 'can being found' is grammatically incorrect.

19. Q19The shipment ___ due to bad weather.

    Amight delay Bmight be delay Cmight being delayed Dmight be delayed

    Answer: D. might be delayed

    This is a modal passive expressing possibility. The structure is 'might + be + past participle'. 'Might delay' is active, and 'might be delay' is incorrect because it uses the base verb instead of the participle 'delayed'.

20. Q20The design ___ to make it more user-friendly.

    Acould improve Bcould be improve Ccould be improved Dcould be improving

    Answer: C. could be improved

    The modal passive 'could + be + past participle' is used for suggestions or possibilities. 'Could be improved' is the correct form. 'Could improve' is active, and 'could be improve' lacks the '-ed' ending needed for the past participle.

21. Q21Any suspicious activity ___ to the police.

    Aought to be reported Bought to report Cought to be reporting Dought to reported

    Answer: A. ought to be reported

    'Ought to' functions as a modal. Its passive form is 'ought to + be + past participle'. 'Ought to be reported' is correct. 'Ought to report' is active and would require a subject like 'the neighbors'.

22. Q22The leaking pipe ___ before winter.

    Aneeds fixing be Bneeds to fix Cneeds to be fixing Dneeds to be fixed

    Answer: D. needs to be fixed

    To express necessity in the passive voice, use 'need(s) + to be + past participle'. 'Needs to be fixed' is the correct structure. 'Needs to fix' is active, and 'needs fixing be' is not a standard English construction.

23. Q23The contract ___ by all parties.

    Ashould being signed Bshould be signed Cshould be sign Dshould sign

    Answer: B. should be signed

    This modal passive requires the structure 'should + be + past participle'. 'Signed' is the correct participle. 'Should sign' is active voice, and 'should be sign' uses the base verb instead of the participle.

24. Q24The work ___ by tomorrow morning.

    Amust being finished Bmust finish Cmust be finished Dmust be finish

    Answer: C. must be finished

    For obligation in the passive, use 'must + be + past participle'. 'Must be finished' is correct. 'Must finish' is active, and 'must be finish' is missing the '-ed' past participle ending.

25. Q25The hidden room ___ from the outside.

    Acould seen Bcould be seeing Ccould be seen Dcould see

    Answer: C. could be seen

    This is a modal passive expressing possibility. The structure is 'could + be + past participle'. 'Seen' is the past participle of 'see', making 'could be seen' the only correct passive choice.

26. Q26Which sentence is correct?

    AThe task must be done today. BThe task must be do today. CThe task must do today. DThe task must being done today.

    Answer: A. The task must be done today.

    The modal passive requires 'be' followed by the past participle. 'Done' is the past participle of 'do'. 'Must be do' is incorrect because it uses the base verb instead of the participle.

27. Q27Which sentence is correct?

    AThe rules should follow. BThe rules should be followed. CThe rules should being followed. DThe rules should be follow.

    Answer: B. The rules should be followed.

    This modal passive sentence uses 'should + be + past participle'. 'Followed' is the correct participle. 'Should follow' is active voice, which would mean the rules are following something else.

28. Q28Which sentence is correct?

    AThe rules can be broken at any time. BThe rules can be breaked at any time. CThe rules can break at any time. DThe rules can being broken at any time.

    Answer: A. The rules can be broken at any time.

    Passive forms require the past participle. 'Broken' is the irregular past participle of 'break'. 'Breaked' is not a real word, and 'can break' is active voice.

29. Q29Which sentence is correct?

    AThe meeting might cancel due to the storm. BThe meeting might be cancelled due to the storm. CThe meeting might be cancelling due to the storm. DThe meeting might be cancel due to the storm.

    Answer: B. The meeting might be cancelled due to the storm.

    The modal passive uses 'might + be + past participle'. 'Cancelled' is the correct participle form. 'Might cancel' is active, implying the meeting is performing the action of cancelling.

30. Q30Which sentence is correct?

    AThe work could be finished by tomorrow. BThe work could finish by tomorrow. CThe work could be finishing by tomorrow. DThe work could be finish by tomorrow.

    Answer: A. The work could be finished by tomorrow.

    The modal passive uses 'could + be + past participle'. 'Finished' is the correct participle. 'Could be finish' is incorrect because it lacks the '-ed' ending required for the past participle.

31. Q31He ___ during the football match yesterday.

    Agot hurt Bgets hurt Cgot hurting Dis got hurt

    Answer: A. got hurt

    This is a 'get-passive', often used for accidents. For a past event ('yesterday'), we use 'got + past participle'. 'Hurt' is both the base form and the past participle. 'Gets hurt' is present tense.

32. Q32She ___ because the company was downsizing.

    Agets fired Bgot fired Cis getting fired Dgets firing

    Answer: B. got fired

    The 'get-passive' ('got + past participle') is common for negative or unexpected events like losing a job. Since the reason was in the past ('was downsizing'), we use the past simple 'got fired'.

33. Q33The window ___ when the ball hit it.

    Agot break Bgets broken Cgot broken Dgetting broken

    Answer: C. got broken

    The 'get-passive' is used for accidents. Because the event happened in the past ('when the ball hit it'), we use 'got + past participle'. 'Broken' is the past participle; 'break' is the base form.

34. Q34The elevator ___ between floors last night.

    Agetting stuck Bgets stuck Cgot sticking Dgot stuck

    Answer: D. got stuck

    'Last night' indicates a past event. The 'get-passive' for an unexpected problem uses 'got + past participle'. 'Stuck' is the past participle of 'stick'. 'Got sticking' is not a passive form.

35. Q35My wallet ___ while I was on the bus.

    Agets stolen Bgot stolen Cgetting stolen Dgot steal

    Answer: B. got stolen

    For sudden negative events like theft, we often use the 'get-passive'. In the past tense, this is 'got + past participle'. 'Stolen' is the past participle of 'steal'.

36. Q36The files ___ in the move.

    Agot lose Bgot lost Cgetting lost Dgets lost

    Answer: B. got lost

    The 'get-passive' describes things that go wrong. The past structure is 'got + past participle'. 'Lost' is the participle; 'lose' is the base verb and cannot be used here.

37. Q37We ___ to the wedding at the last minute.

    Agets invited Bgot invited Cgot inviting Dgetting invited

    Answer: B. got invited

    The 'get-passive' can be used for social events. Since the invitation is a completed past event, we use 'got + past participle'. 'Invited' is the participle; 'inviting' is the present participle used for active continuous tenses.

38. Q38He ___ his bonus after working there for years.

    Agot paying Bgets paid Cgot paid Dgetting paid

    Answer: C. got paid

    The 'get-passive' is often used for receiving payment. The past tense structure is 'got + past participle'. 'Paid' is the participle form of 'pay'; 'paying' is the continuous form.

39. Q39The car ___ in the parking lot during the storm.

    Agot damaged Bgot damage Cgetting damaged Dgets damaged

    Answer: A. got damaged

    For accidents or damage, we use 'got + past participle'. 'Damaged' is the correct participle form. 'Got damage' is incorrect because 'damage' is the base verb or a noun, not a participle.

40. Q40The thief ___ by the police near the bank.

    Agot caught Bget caught Cgetting caught Dgot catching

    Answer: A. got caught

    This 'get-passive' describes an arrest. We use 'got + past participle'. 'Caught' is the past participle of 'catch'. 'Got catching' is incorrect because it uses the -ing form.

41. Q41Which sentence is correct?

    AThe glass got break. BThe glass gets break. CThe glass got broken. DThe glass getting broken.

    Answer: C. The glass got broken.

    The 'get-passive' requires the past participle. 'Broken' is the past participle of 'break'. 'Break' is the base form and cannot be used in this passive construction.

42. Q42Which sentence is correct?

    AThey getting lost in the city. BThey gets lost in the city. CThey got lose in the city. DThey got lost in the city.

    Answer: D. They got lost in the city.

    'Lost' is the past participle of 'lose'. The 'get-passive' uses 'got + past participle' to describe a completed past event. 'Got lose' is incorrect because 'lose' is the base form.

43. Q43Which sentence is correct?

    AThe car gets damage in the storm. BThe car got damage in the storm. CThe car is get damaged in the storm. DThe car got damaged in the storm.

    Answer: D. The car got damaged in the storm.

    To describe a past accident, the 'get-passive' uses 'got + past participle'. 'Damaged' is the participle form. 'Got damage' is incorrect because 'damage' is not the participle.

44. Q44Which sentence is correct?

    AHe gets fire for being late. BHe is getting fire for being late. CHe was getting fire for being late. DHe got fired for being late.

    Answer: D. He got fired for being late.

    The 'get-passive' uses 'got + past participle'. 'Fired' is the past participle of 'fire'. 'Fire' used as a verb in 'got fire' or 'gets fire' is incorrect because it lacks the '-ed' ending.

45. Q45Which sentence is correct?

    AThe lift was get stuck last night. BThe lift was stick last night. CThe lift got stuck last night. DThe lift gets stuck last night.

    Answer: C. The lift got stuck last night.

    'Last night' requires a past tense. The 'get-passive' uses 'got + past participle' ('stuck'). 'Was get stuck' is incorrect because it combines two different passive auxiliaries ('was' and 'get') in a non-standard way.