Chapter 6 - B1 English Grammar – Passive Voice: When the Action Matters More Than the Doer – Ex 6
The passive voice shifts focus from who did something to what happened. At B1 level, you must form passives in all key tenses, use them appropriately in news, science, and formal writing, and avoid overusing them in speaking and informal contexts.
How to Form the Passive
Structure: be + past participle
- Present Simple: is/are made
- Past Simple: was/were built
- Present Perfect: has/have been repaired
- Future Simple: will be completed
- Modal: can be seen, must be done
Key tip: Only transitive verbs** (verbs with an object) can be passive.
Common Situations for Passive Voice
- ✅ When the **doer is unknown**: My phone was stolen.
- ✅ When the **doer is obvious/unimportant**: English is spoken here.
- ✅ In **news, science, reports**: The experiment was conducted in 2023.
- ❌ Avoid in **stories or casual speech**: I was given a gift → My friend gave me a gift.
Frequent B1 Mistakes
- ❌ The book was wrote by her. → ✅ was written (use past participle)
- ❌ He was been fired. → ✅ He was fired. (no double 'be')
- ❌ The accident happened while I was walked. → ✅ was walking (intransitive verb 'happen' can't be passive)
- ❌ Overusing passive in speaking: My homework was done by me. → ✅ I did my homework.
Passive in Different Tenses:
Present → is/are made
Past → was/were built
Perfect → has been done
Future → will be finished
Modal → can be used
correct “The letter was sent yesterday.”
incorrect “The letter sent yesterday.” (missing 'be')
How This Quiz Works
- 20 questions randomly selected from a pool of 50
- Tests passive formation and usage in all key tenses
- Hints guide you without giving the answer
- Immediate feedback with specific explanations
- Click “Check Answers” to see the full answer key
- “Change Questions” gives you a new quiz
B1 Passive Voice Quiz (20 Questions)
Answer Key with Explanations