English grammar quiz
Quiz: the passive voice
It built or it was built? Has stolen or has been stolen? Check the passive in different tenses: 12 questions with every answer explained.
- 12 questions
- Level A2–B2
- Every answer explained
- No sign-up
Quiz: Passive voice
Choose the right option — you’ll instantly see if you got it and why. Your score comes after the last question.
Question 1.
English (blank) in many countries.
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English doesn’t speak — people speak it. The subject receives the action, so we need the passive: Present Simple Passive, is + V3 (spoken).
Question 2.
The Eiffel Tower (blank) in 1889.
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People built the tower, and 1889 is a finished past time. Past Simple Passive: was + V3. The Present Perfect can’t go with a specific year.
Question 3.
My bike (blank)! I can’t find it anywhere.
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Someone stole it and the result matters now (it’s gone): Present Perfect Passive, has been + V3. Has stolen would mean the bike stole something.
Question 4.
The road is closed because it (blank).
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The repairs are happening right now: Present Continuous Passive, is being + V3.
Question 5.
The results (blank) tomorrow.
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Someone will announce the results tomorrow: Future Simple Passive, will be + V3.
Question 6.
This letter must (blank) today.
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A passive with a modal: must + be + V3. The past participle of send is sent.
Question 7.
“Harry Potter” was written (blank) J. K. Rowling.
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The agent in a passive sentence is introduced by by. With is for a tool or material (written with a pen).
Question 8.
When I arrived, all the tickets (blank).
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The tickets were sold before I arrived (earlier than another past action): Past Perfect Passive, had been + V3.
Question 9.
Where (blank) these phones made?
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Passive questions put be first: Where are they made? Do is not used in the passive.
Question 10.
The windows (blank) every week.
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Someone cleans the windows every week, a regular action: Present Simple Passive, are + V3.
Question 11.
I (blank) to the party, so I didn’t go.
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Nobody invited me: negative Past Simple Passive, wasn’t + V3 (invited). Without -ed it isn’t a past participle.
Question 12.
A new school (blank) in our area next year.
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Someone is going to build it and it’s planned: be going to + be + V3.
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Take the level testThe passive voice: the rule
Use the passive when what happened matters more than who did it. Be shows the tense; the main verb is always V3.
Present and Past Simple
am / is / are + V3; was / were + V3.
Coffee is grown in Brazil.
a general fact
The bridge was built in 1990.
a finished past action
Continuous and Perfect
is being + V3, has been + V3, had been + V3.
The road is being repaired.
right now
My bag has been stolen.
a result now
Future and modals
will be + V3; must / can / should + be + V3.
You will be met at the airport.
future
This form must be signed.
obligation
Typical mistakes
Things learners of English often say. On the left — what to avoid, on the right — the correct version.
Not this:
The house built in 1990.This: The house was built in 1990.
No passive without be.
Not this:
The letter was wrote yesterday.This: The letter was written yesterday.
The passive uses V3, not V2.
Not this:
It was written from Orwell.This: It was written by Orwell.
The agent takes by.
Not this:
Did the window broken?This: Was the window broken?
Passive questions use be, not did.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
When should I use the passive?
When the doer is unknown (My phone was stolen), unimportant or obvious (The road is being repaired), and in news, instructions and formal writing.
How do I form the passive in any tense?
Put be in the tense you need and add the past participle: is made, was made, has been made, will be made, is being made.
What level is this quiz?
A2–B2: the Present and Past Simple passive are A2–B1; perfect, continuous and modal passives are B1–B2.
More grammar quizzes
- A1
There is / there are
There is or there are: singular, plural, questions and the past.
- A1–A2
Present Simple vs Present Continuous
I work or I’m working: habits and facts vs what’s happening right now.
- A1–B1
Articles a, an, the
A, an, the or no article: from a / an to countries, rivers and mountains.
- A1–A2
Much, many, a lot of
Much or many, a few or a little: countable and uncountable nouns.
- A1–A2
Prepositions in, on, at
In May, on Monday, at 5 o’clock: prepositions of time and place.
- A1–A2
Comparatives and superlatives
Bigger, the biggest, more interesting: rules and exceptions.
- A1–A2
Question forms
Do / does / did, word order, subject questions and question tags.
- A2–B1
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
I have seen or I saw: experience and results vs the finished past.
- A2–B1
Will vs going to
A decision now or an earlier plan: the future with will and going to.
- A2–B2
Modal verbs
Can, must, should, might: obligation, advice, possibility, deduction.
- A2–B1
Present tenses
All four: Present Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous in one quiz.
- A2–B2
Past tenses
Past Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous: what happened, what was going on, what came first.
- A2–B2
Future tenses
Will, going to, Present Continuous, Future Continuous and Future Perfect: how to talk about the future.
- B1–B2
Gerund or infinitive
Enjoy doing, want to do, stop doing or stop to do.
- B1–B2
Conditionals
Zero, first, second, third and mixed: if I have, if I had, if I had had.
- B1–B2
I wish and if only
I wish I knew, I wish I had known, I wish you would stop.
- B1–B2
Reported speech
She said she was tired: tense changes, said or told, questions.
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