Passive Voice (Various Tenses) – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
1 I can’t believe it! I ______ to Sarah’s wedding!
(a) have invited
(b) was being invited
(c) have been invited
(d) have be invited
2 The physical invitation ______ to my house yesterday.
(a) was delivered
(b) delivered
(c) has been delivered
(d) is delivered
3 Look at this beautiful card! It ______ with shiny gold letters.
(a) printed
(b) has printed
(c) was printed
(d) was print
4 I feel so special right now. Only close friends ______ to this private event so far.
(a) have been asked
(b) has been asked
(c) have asked
(d) were asking
5 The luxury venue ______ by the bride and groom last month.
(a) has been chosen
(b) was choosed
(c) choose
(d) was chosen
6 I’m so thrilled! I ______ a VIP seat right at the main table.
(a) have given
(b) have been given
(c) was giving
(d) has been gave
7 When the official guest list ______, my name was right at the top!
(a) was make
(b) has been made
(c) made
(d) was made
8 We ______ to wear formal evening gowns for the reception.
(a) have told
(b) were telling
(c) have been told
(d) are been told
9 The exact location of the secret after-party ______ yet.
(a) hasn’t announced
(b) hasn’t been announced
(c) didn’t announce
(d) hasn’t announce
10 I was over the moon when I realized that all my travel expenses ______ by the host.
(a) payed
(b) was paid
(c) were paying
(d) were paid
11 A stunning dress ______ for me to wear tonight, and I can’t wait to try it on!
(a) has been bought
(b) has bought
(c) is bought
(d) was been bought
12 Two extra VIP tickets ______ to me so I can bring you along!
(a) have sent
(b) were sending
(c) has been sent
(d) have been sent
13 At the previous party they hosted, we ______ amazingly well.
(a) have been treated
(b) was treated
(c) were treated
(d) treated
14 You won’t believe this, but a private limousine ______ to pick us up later!
(a) have been hired
(b) has hired
(c) was hiring
(d) has been hired
15 Not a single detail ______ in planning this incredible celebration.
(a) overlooked
(b) hasn’t been overlooked
(c) has been overlooked
(d) has been overlook
16 I heard from an insider that the special wedding cake ______ all the way from Paris yesterday!
(a) flew
(b) has been flown
(c) was flied
(d) was flown
17 Ever since the beautiful invitations ______, everyone has been constantly talking about the big day.
(a) were sent out
(b) was sent out
(c) have been sent out
(d) sent out
18 I feel deeply honored because I ______ to give a special speech at the reception.
(a) was been chosen
(b) have chosen
(c) chose
(d) have been chosen
19 It’s such a huge relief to know that all the hotel reservations ______ care of already.
(a) have been taken
(b) were taking
(c) have taken
(d) has been taken
20 We really don’t need to worry about a thing; absolutely everything ______ perfectly for us.
(a) has arranged
(b) was arranging
(c) have been arranged
(d) has been arranged
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) have been invited
- Why it is correct (The Key): The event has happened and its result (the excitement) continues into the present -> Present Perfect. “I” is the receiver of the action -> Passive Voice.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Uses the active voice. Learners often forget the auxiliary “been”.
- (b) Strong Distractor: Past continuous passive; illogical tense for an action that has just been finalized.
- (d) Structural Error: Incorrect verb form (“be” instead of “been”).
2 (a) was delivered
- Why it is correct (The Key): The adverb “yesterday” indicates a finished action in the past -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (b) Common Mistake: Uses the active voice (an invitation cannot deliver itself).
- (c) Strong Distractor: Incorrect tense (Present Perfect is not used with “yesterday”).
- (d) Structural Error: Incorrect tense (Present Simple used despite “yesterday”).
3 (c) was printed
- Why it is correct (The Key): The printing of the card was completed in the past -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Structural Error: Uses the active voice and is missing the “to be” verb.
- (b) Strong Distractor: Uses the Present Perfect active, which is incorrect in meaning.
- (d) Common Mistake: Fails to use the past participle for “print” (missing “-ed”).
4 (a) have been asked
- Why it is correct (The Key): “So far” indicates the Present Perfect tense. The subject “friends” is plural -> Plural Passive Voice.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (b) Structural Error: Subject-verb agreement error (uses “has” for a plural subject).
- (c) Common Mistake: Uses the active voice.
- (d) Strong Distractor: Past continuous is completely incorrect in this context.
5 (d) was chosen
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Last month” indicates Past Simple Passive. Irregular verb: choose – chose – chosen.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Strong Distractor: Incorrect tense (because of “last month”).
- (b) Common Mistake: Incorrect past participle (“choosed” does not exist).
- (c) Structural Error: Completely incorrect structure; uses the bare infinitive active.
6 (b) have been given
- Why it is correct (The Key): Emphasizes the result in the present -> Present Perfect Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Uses the active voice.
- (c) Strong Distractor: Past continuous is illogical for a finalized action.
- (d) Structural Error: Incorrect past participle (“gave” instead of “given”).
7 (d) was made
- Why it is correct (The Key): Recounting a past event that aligns with the past tense “was” -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Structural Error: Incorrect past participle of “make”.
- (b) Strong Distractor: Present perfect does not match the timeframe of “was right at the top”.
- (c) Common Mistake: Uses the active voice.
8 (c) have been told
- Why it is correct (The Key): The rule is currently in effect -> Present Perfect Passive. “We” are the receivers of the instruction.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Active voice (meaning “we told someone”, which is incorrect here).
- (b) Strong Distractor: Active Past Continuous is incorrect in both grammar and context.
- (d) Structural Error: Incorrect auxiliary verb (“are” instead of “have”).
9 (b) hasn’t been announced
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Yet” indicates Present Perfect. A “location” cannot announce itself -> Passive Voice.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Strong Distractor: Present Perfect but in the active voice.
- (c) Common Mistake: Incorrect tense; learners often use “didn’t” for uncompleted actions.
- (d) Structural Error: Missing the “-ed” suffix in the passive voice.
10 (d) were paid
- Why it is correct (The Key): The main clause “I was” is in the past simple; the expenses were covered -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Incorrect irregular verb spelling (pay -> paid) and it’s active.
- (b) Structural Error: Subject-verb agreement error (plural “expenses” cannot take “was”).
- (c) Strong Distractor: Active Past Continuous makes no sense regarding the subject’s role.
11 (a) has been bought
- Why it is correct (The Key): The purchase is completed and is relevant for tonight -> Present Perfect Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (b) Common Mistake: Fails to use passive voice (a dress cannot buy itself).
- (c) Strong Distractor: Present Simple is incorrect because this is a completed action, not a general truth or routine.
- (d) Structural Error: Incorrect structure (unnecessary/wrong auxiliary “was been”).
12 (d) have been sent
- Why it is correct (The Key): Emphasizes the present result of having the tickets -> Present Perfect Passive. “Tickets” is plural.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Active voice.
- (b) Strong Distractor: Active Past Continuous is incorrect in meaning.
- (c) Structural Error: Uses “has” for a plural subject.
13 (c) were treated
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Previous party” refers to a finished past event -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Strong Distractor: Present Perfect contradicts the past timeframe of “previous”.
- (b) Structural Error: Uses “was” for the subject “we”.
- (d) Common Mistake: Active voice.
14 (d) has been hired
- Why it is correct (The Key): The hiring is complete in preparation for picking them up -> Present Perfect Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Structural Error: Subject-verb agreement error (singular “limousine” with “have”).
- (b) Common Mistake: Active voice.
- (c) Strong Distractor: Active voice and incorrect tense (Past Continuous).
15 (c) has been overlooked
- Why it is correct (The Key): The subject “Not a single detail” already carries a negative meaning, so the Present Perfect Passive structure must be affirmative.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Strong Distractor: Active Past Simple. It sounds okay, but a “detail” cannot perform an action.
- (b) Common Mistake: Double negative (“Not” and “hasn’t”).
- (d) Structural Error: Missing the “-ed” of the past participle.
16 (d) was flown
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Yesterday” -> Past Simple. The cake was transported by air -> Passive of “fly” is “was flown”.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Structural Error: Active Past Simple (the cake flew itself).
- (b) Strong Distractor: Present Perfect contradicts “yesterday”.
- (c) Common Mistake: Incorrect past participle (fly – flew – flown; “flied” does not exist).
17 (a) were sent out
- Why it is correct (The Key): In the “Ever since + Clause” structure, the clause after “since” establishes a specific point in the past -> Past Simple Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (b) Structural Error: Uses “was” for plural “invitations”.
- (c) Common Mistake: Learners often mistakenly use Present Perfect right after seeing “since”.
- (d) Strong Distractor: Active voice.
18 (d) have been chosen
- Why it is correct (The Key): The result continues into the present (“feel deeply honored”) -> Present Perfect Passive.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Structural Error: Basic structural error “was been”.
- (b) Common Mistake: Active voice.
- (c) Strong Distractor: Active Past Simple.
19 (a) have been taken
- Why it is correct (The Key): Plural “reservations” are processed -> Present Perfect Passive (take care of -> taken care of).
- Distractor Analysis:
- (b) Strong Distractor: Active Past Continuous.
- (c) Common Mistake: Active voice.
- (d) Structural Error: Uses “has” for plural “reservations”.
20 (d) has been arranged
- Why it is correct (The Key): Everything has been settled -> Present Perfect Passive. The indefinite pronoun “everything” always takes a singular verb.
- Distractor Analysis:
- (a) Common Mistake: Active voice.
- (b) Strong Distractor: Active Past Continuous is incorrect in meaning.
- (c) Structural Error: Uses “have” for “everything” (incorrect verb conjugation).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 Concept of Passive Voice
- Used when you want to emphasize the receiver of the action (e.g., being invited, the dress being bought, the ticket being sent) rather than the doer of the action.
2 Core Structures
- Past Simple Passive: Subject + was / were + Past Participle (V3/ed)
- When to use: The event happened and finished completely in the past (often with time markers like yesterday, last month…).
- Present Perfect Passive: Subject + have / has + been + Past Participle (V3/ed)
- When to use: The event has just happened, or the action is complete but its result/state continues into the present (often goes with yet, so far, just, already).
3 Common Pitfalls
- Active vs Passive: Always check whether the subject performs the action (Active) or receives it (Passive). If the subject is an object (“cake”, “details”, “expenses”) or you are the beneficiary (being invited), use the Passive.
- Irregular Verbs: Be sure to memorize the 3rd column of irregular verbs (e.g., fly -> flown, choose -> chosen, give -> given).
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Pay attention to plural nouns (tickets, friends) taking were / have, and indefinite pronouns (everything) taking was / has. Similarly, if using the past tense, note that the time marker clause after “since” will always be in the Past Simple rather than the Present Perfect.