Active & Passive Voice — GK Questions with Answers

1. Choose the correct active voice: We were made to work.
   1. We had to work.
   2. Work made we.
   3. He made us work.
   4. To work he made us.
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   Answer: (C) He made us work.

   In the active, make takes the bare infinitive — made us work.

2. Change the voice: Your behaviour has greatly astonished me.
   1. I have been greatly astonished from your behaviour.
   2. Greatly have I been astonished with your behaviour.
   3. I have been greatly astonished by your behaviour.
   4. I have been greatly astonished at your behaviour.
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   Answer: (D) I have been greatly astonished at your behaviour.

   Astonished takes at, not by.

3. Change into the passive voice: People believed that the earth was flat.
   1. The earth was believed to be flat.
   2. The earth had been believed to be flat.
   3. The earth was flat was believed by many people.
   4. The earth have been believed to be flat by people.
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   Answer: (A) The earth was believed to be flat.

   The that-clause collapses into an infinitive: was believed to be flat.

4. Change into the passive voice: They rang the Church bells as a flood warning.
   1. The Church bells had been rung as a flood warning by them.
   2. The Church bells were rung as a flood warning by them.
   3. The Church bells have been rung as a flood warning by them.
   4. The Church bells were rang as a flood warning by them.
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   Answer: (B) The Church bells were rung as a flood warning by them.

   Simple past active gives were rung — note the past participle, not rang.

5. Change into the passive voice: Tell Mr. Smith to wait here.
   1. Mr. Smith should be told to wait there.
   2. Mr. Smith should be asked to wait here.
   3. Let Mr. Smith be told to wait there.
   4. Let Mr. Smith be told to wait here.
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   Answer: (D) Let Mr. Smith be told to wait here.

   An imperative takes the Let … be form, and here does not change.

6. The passive of "Who wrote this letter?" is —
   1. Who was this letter written?
   2. By whom was this letter written?
   3. Whom was written this letter?
   4. This letter was written by who?
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   Answer: (B) By whom was this letter written?

   Who becomes by whom and moves to the front.

7. Which tense has NO passive form?
   1. Simple past
   2. Present perfect
   3. Future continuous
   4. Past continuous
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   Answer: (C) Future continuous

   Will be being written is impossible, so the future continuous has no passive.

8. The passive of "She is writing a letter" is —
   1. A letter is written by her.
   2. A letter is being written by her.
   3. A letter has been written by her.
   4. A letter was being written by her.
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   Answer: (B) A letter is being written by her.

   Present continuous passive is is being + V3.

9. Which sentence has no passive form?
   1. He opened the door.
   2. She sang a song.
   3. The baby slept soundly.
   4. They built a house.
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   Answer: (C) The baby slept soundly.

   Sleep is intransitive — it has no object, so no passive.

10. Change into the passive: Open the door.
    1. The door opens.
    2. Let the door be opened.
    3. The door is opened.
    4. The door was opened.
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    Answer: (B) Let the door be opened.

    Imperatives take Let … be opened.

11. "He gave me a book." Which is a correct passive?
    1. Me was given a book.
    2. A book was given to me.
    3. I was given by a book.
    4. A book gave to me.
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    Answer: (B) A book was given to me.

    Either object may become the subject: I was given a book or A book was given to me.

12. The passive of "Somebody has stolen my purse" is best written as —
    1. My purse has been stolen by somebody.
    2. My purse has been stolen.
    3. My purse was stolen by somebody.
    4. My purse is stolen.
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    Answer: (B) My purse has been stolen.

    When the doer is unknown, the by-phrase is normally dropped.

13. Change the voice: He can solve this problem.
    1. This problem can solve by him.
    2. This problem can be solved by him.
    3. This problem is solved by him.
    4. This problem can be solve by him.
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    Answer: (B) This problem can be solved by him.

    The pattern is modal + be + V3.

14. Change the voice: Somebody must have taken my pen.
    1. My pen must take.
    2. My pen must be taken.
    3. My pen must have been taken.
    4. My pen had been taken.
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    Answer: (C) My pen must have been taken.

    A perfect modal needs have been + V3, and the vague subject is dropped.

15. Change the voice: Let him finish the work.
    1. He should finish the work.
    2. Let the work be finished by him.
    3. The work let be finished by him.
    4. Let the work finish by him.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Let the work be finished by him.

    Let is kept and be + V3 follows the object.

16. Change the voice: Do not insult the weak.
    1. Do not let the weak be insulted.
    2. Let the weak not be insulted.
    3. The weak do not be insulted.
    4. Let not be insulted the weak.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Let the weak not be insulted.

    The not goes after the object: Let the weak not be insulted.

17. "I had my watch repaired" means that —
    1. I repaired the watch myself
    2. somebody repaired the watch for me
    3. the watch repaired itself
    4. I was repairing the watch
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    Answer: (B) somebody repaired the watch for me

    The causative — have + object + V3.

18. Which is correct?
    1. I got the mechanic repair my car.
    2. I got the mechanic to repair my car.
    3. I had the mechanic to repair my car.
    4. I had the mechanic repairing my car.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) I got the mechanic to repair my car.

    Get takes to before the person’s verb; have takes the bare infinitive.

19. "The rose smells sweet" is an example of —
    1. the ordinary passive
    2. a verb active in form but passive in sense
    3. a causative
    4. an intransitive verb
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    Answer: (B) a verb active in form but passive in sense

    A quasi-passive: the rose is sweet when it is smelt.

20. Which sentence CANNOT be turned into the passive?
    1. He wrote a letter.
    2. He resembles his father.
    3. He opened the door.
    4. He sold the house.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) He resembles his father.

    Resemble describes a state, so it has no passive.

21. Change the voice: We elected Balu captain.
    1. Balu was elected by us captain.
    2. Balu was elected captain.
    3. Captain was elected Balu.
    4. Balu elected captain by us.
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    Answer: (B) Balu was elected captain.

    The object becomes the subject; the complement stays put.

22. Change the voice: One should keep one’s promises.
    1. One’s promises should be kept by one.
    2. Promises should be kept.
    3. Promises are kept by one.
    4. Promises should keep.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Promises should be kept.

    An indefinite subject is simply dropped in the passive.

23. Choose the right preposition: The window was broken ___ a stone ___ a boy.
    1. by … with
    2. with … by
    3. by … by
    4. with … with
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) with … by

    With the instrument (stone), by the doer (boy).

24. Change the voice: They made him work all night.
    1. He was made work all night.
    2. He was made to work all night.
    3. He was make to work all night.
    4. He made to work all night.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) He was made to work all night.

    After make, the passive restores the to.

25. Change the voice: Who taught you French?
    1. Who was French taught by you?
    2. By whom were you taught French?
    3. Whom was taught French by you?
    4. French was taught you by whom?
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) By whom were you taught French?

    Who becomes by whom, and either object may become the subject.

26. Change the voice: There is nothing to do.
    1. There is nothing to be do.
    2. There is nothing to be done.
    3. Nothing is to do there.
    4. There is nothing being done.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) There is nothing to be done.

    The infinitive takes its passive form to be done.

27. Change the voice: She likes people praising her.
    1. She likes to praise.
    2. She likes being praised.
    3. She likes be praised.
    4. She likes praising.
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) She likes being praised.

    The gerund takes the passive form being + V3.

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