Green Level

Lesson Eighteen

Passive Voice Practice

Now that you’ve learned how to use the passive voice in several different tenses, you should practice its use. This is an area where many students make mistakes in their English.

Active or Passive?

Do you know the difference? This exercise might help you. Just remember that when you first learn English, you are taught to use the active voice. There is a very big difference between the two.

Determine if the sentence is active or passive.

Also, what is the verb tense for each sentence?

She was scared by the spider. What verb tense is this?
The spider scared her. This is the past tense.
He uses chopsticks to eat his rice. What verb tense is this?
Chopsticks are often used in Chinese restaurants to eat rice. This is in the present tense.
He‘s making cloth on a loom. What verb tense is this?
Cloth is being made on a loom. This is in the present continuous tense.
The woman was helped by the man. past tense
The man helped the woman. past tense
The woman’s teeth are being cleaned by a dental hygienist. present continous tense
A dental hygienist is cleaning the woman’s teeth. present continous tense
The corn will be harvested in the fall by farmers. future tense
Farmers will harvest the corn in the fall. future tense

Are you ready for a quiz?

Next: Lesson Nineteen