Active and passive sentences Worksheet Practice Exercises with Answers

Lesson 52: Active And Passive Sentences

Active Sentences

A sentence where the subject carries out the action is known as an active sentence. In active sentences, the subject comes before the verb. Example: Charley fixed this computer.

Passive Sentences

A sentence where the action happens to the subject is known as a passive sentence. In passive sentences, the subject does not come before the verb. Example: This computer was fixed by Charley.

Question 1. Decide if each sentence is active or passive. To help you decide, see if the subject (doer of the action) is before or after the verb.
Answer: In an active sentence, the doer of the action comes before the verb. In a passive sentence, the doer of the action comes after the verb, following the word "by".
In simple words: Look at where the action-doer sits in the sentence. If it comes first, the sentence is active. If it comes after the verb with "by" in front, the sentence is passive.

Exam Tip: Always identify the subject and see if it performs the action or receives it - this quickly tells you if a sentence is active or passive.

Question 2. The landscaper was hired by her neighbor.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: The landscaper is the subject, but it comes before the verb "was hired." The doer (the neighbor) comes after the verb with "by," making this passive.

Exam Tip: Watch for the pattern "was/were + past participle + by" - this is a clear sign of a passive sentence.

Question 3. Tim chose the pastries.
Answer: Active
In simple words: Tim is the subject and comes before the verb "chose." Tim is the one doing the action, so this is active.

Exam Tip: When the subject performs the action directly with a simple verb, you have an active sentence.

Question 4. Christine had driven about thirty or forty miles that day.
Answer: Active
In simple words: Christine is the subject and comes before the verb "had driven." Christine is performing the action, so this sentence is active.

Exam Tip: Even with helping verbs like "had," if the subject performs the action before the verb, it remains active.

Question 5. Little Suzie's picture was taken by her grandmother.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: The picture is the subject, but it does not perform the action. The grandmother performs the action and comes after the verb with "by," making this passive.

Exam Tip: When the subject receives the action rather than doing it, and the doer follows "by," the sentence is passive.

Question 6. We are cooking something for lunch.
Answer: Active
In simple words: "We" is the subject and comes before the verb "are cooking." We are performing the action, making this active.

Exam Tip: The presence of helping verbs like "are" does not change the sentence type if the subject still performs the action before the verb.

Question 7. This investor made a lot of money.
Answer: Active
In simple words: The investor is the subject and comes before the verb "made." The investor performs the action directly, making this active.

Exam Tip: When a clear actor performs an action on an object without any form of "be," the sentence is active.

Question 8. He was appointed by the mayor.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "He" is the subject, but the mayor performs the action. The pattern "was appointed by" marks this as passive.

Exam Tip: Look for the "was/were + past participle + by" structure - it is the hallmark of passive voice.

Question 9. The votes were counted by the election commission.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: The votes are the subject, but they do not perform the counting. The election commission performs the action and follows "by," making this passive.

Exam Tip: In passive sentences, the object of the action moves to the front as the subject.

Question 10. The soprano is singing a famous aria.
Answer: Active
In simple words: The soprano is the subject and comes before the verb "is singing." The soprano performs the action of singing, making this active.

Exam Tip: Even with the helping verb "is," if the subject performs the action before the verb, the sentence stays active.

Question 11. My credit card company has responded to my inquiry.
Answer: Active
In simple words: My credit card company is the subject and comes before the verb "has responded." The company performs the action of responding, making this active.

Exam Tip: When a subject performs an action using helping verbs like "has," the sentence remains active if the subject still comes before the main verb.

Passive Sentence Characteristics

Passive sentences differ from active sentences in five main ways:

1. The subject (doer of the action) comes after the verb instead of before it.

2. The word "by" comes before the subject.

3. The noun phrase that was the direct object in the active sentence now comes before the verb in the passive sentence.

4. A form of "be" (am, is, are, was, were, be, being) comes before the main verb.

5. The main verb following the passive "be" takes the past participle form.

Question 12. In the passive sentences below, underline the passive be helping verb and put a squiggly line under the past participle form of the verb that follows it.
Answer: The passive "be" helping verb is the form of "be" that comes right before the main verb. The past participle is the special form of the verb that follows it. Example: "Roller-coasters are designed by that company" - "are" is the passive be, and "designed" is the past participle.
In simple words: Find the form of "be" (is, are, was, were, been, being) that comes before the main action word. That's your passive be. The action word after it is the past participle.

Exam Tip: The passive be always sits right before the past participle with no words in between.

Question 13. Amazing results are produced by that approach.
Answer: Passive be: are; Past participle: produced
In simple words: "Are" is a form of "be" that comes before "produced," which is the past participle form of the verb.

Exam Tip: The structure "are produced" shows the passive pattern - passive be plus past participle.

Question 14. Marjorie Kelly was given first prize by the judges.
Answer: Passive be: was; Past participle: given
In simple words: "Was" is the passive be helping verb, and "given" is the past participle form that follows it.

Exam Tip: "Was given" is a typical passive structure - past tense form of be plus past participle.

Question 15. Those words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln.
Answer: Passive be: were; Past participle: spoken
In simple words: "Were" is the passive be form, and "spoken" is the past participle that follows it.

Exam Tip: "Were spoken" follows the passive pattern - plural form of be in past tense with a past participle.

Question 16. This actor's suit was designed by Armani.
Answer: Passive be: was; Past participle: designed
In simple words: "Was" is the passive be verb, and "designed" is the past participle that comes right after it.

Exam Tip: Remember that the passive be always comes right before the past participle with no other words between them.

Question 17. One hundred new airplanes were ordered by Singapore Airlines.
Answer: Passive be: were; Past participle: ordered
In simple words: "Were" is the passive be form, and "ordered" is the past participle that follows it immediately.

Exam Tip: The passive be matches the number and tense of the subject - "were" for plural subjects in past tense.

Question 18. Convert each active sentence below to its related passive sentence.
Answer: To convert active to passive, move the direct object to the front as the new subject, add a form of "be" before the main verb, change the main verb to its past participle form, and add "by" followed by the original subject. Example: "The principal gave my class the award" becomes "My class was given the award by the principal."
In simple words: Take the thing being acted on (the object) and make it the new subject. Put "be" before the action word, change the action word to past participle form, and put the original doer after "by."

Exam Tip: Always check that the subject-verb agreement matches the new subject, not the original one.

Question 19. The tenant filed the complaint.
Answer: The complaint was filed by the tenant.
In simple words: "The complaint" moves to the front as the new subject, "was filed" replaces "filed," and "by the tenant" shows who did the action.

Exam Tip: When converting to passive, the direct object "complaint" becomes the new subject and now controls the form of "be."

Question 20. The advertising agency presents many ideas.
Answer: Many ideas are presented by the advertising agency.
In simple words: "Many ideas" becomes the new subject, "are presented" replaces "presents," and the agency is now introduced with "by."

Exam Tip: The verb form must match the new subject - "ideas" is plural, so use "are presented" not "is presented."

Question 21. The politicians analyze the questionnaires.
Answer: The questionnaires are analyzed by the politicians.
In simple words: "The questionnaires" moves to the front, "are analyzed" becomes the verb, and "by the politicians" shows the original doers.

Exam Tip: Plural objects create plural subjects in the passive - use "are" not "is."

Question 22. Flood damaged their house.
Answer: Their house was damaged by flood.
In simple words: "Their house" becomes the new subject, "was damaged" replaces "damaged," and "by flood" shows what caused the damage.

Exam Tip: A singular object like "house" becomes a singular subject, so use "was" not "were."

Question 23. My colleagues complimented me.
Answer: I was complimented by my colleagues.
In simple words: The object "me" changes to the subject "I," "was complimented" becomes the verb, and "by my colleagues" shows the original doers.

Exam Tip: When the object is a pronoun, it must change to the appropriate subject form (me becomes I, him becomes he, etc.).

Question 24. This law firm hired Joan's daughter.
Answer: Joan's daughter was hired by this law firm.
In simple words: "Joan's daughter" becomes the new subject, "was hired" replaces "hired," and "by this law firm" shows the original doer.

Exam Tip: Singular objects always use "was" in the passive, regardless of what the original active subject was.

Question 25. Charity helps the needy.
Answer: The needy are helped by charity.
In simple words: "The needy" becomes the new subject - it is plural, so use "are" not "is" - and "are helped" replaces "helps."

Exam Tip: The new subject always controls the verb form in the passive - match singular with singular and plural with plural.

Question 26. Some travelers buy flight insurance.
Answer: Flight insurance is bought by some travelers.
In simple words: "Flight insurance" becomes the new subject, "is bought" replaces "buy," and "by some travelers" shows the original doers.

Exam Tip: "Insurance" is singular, so the passive verb must use "is" even though the original subject was plural.

Question 27. Hens produce eggs.
Answer: Eggs are produced by hens.
In simple words: "Eggs" becomes the new subject, "are produced" replaces "produce," and "by hens" shows the original doers.

Exam Tip: Plural objects like "eggs" take "are" in the passive, not "is."

Question 28. My grandfather built that house.
Answer: That house was built by my grandfather.
In simple words: "That house" becomes the new subject, "was built" replaces "built," and "by my grandfather" shows the original doer.

Exam Tip: Singular objects use "was" in the passive; the number of the original subject does not matter for verb form in passive.

Question 29. Convert each passive sentence below to its related active sentence.
Answer: To convert passive to active, move the noun phrase following "by" to the front as the new subject, remove the form of "be," change the past participle back to the simple form of the verb, and bring the original subject (now the object) to the end. Example: "The message was read by the old man" becomes "The old man read the message."
In simple words: Take the doer (after "by") and move it to the front as the new subject. Remove "be" and change the action word back to its simple form. Put what was being acted upon at the end as the object.

Exam Tip: Make sure the verb form matches the new subject in number and tense.

Question 30. Graham is touched by her remarks.
Answer: Her remarks touch Graham.
In simple words: "Her remarks" becomes the subject, "touch" replaces "is touched," and "Graham" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: When converting from passive to active, keep the same meaning but switch who is doing the action.

Question 31. The tower was built by a well-known architect.
Answer: A well-known architect built the tower.
In simple words: "A well-known architect" becomes the subject, "built" replaces "was built," and "the tower" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: The architect moves from the "by" phrase to the subject position in the active sentence.

Question 32. The silence is broken by the alarm bell.
Answer: The alarm bell breaks the silence.
In simple words: "The alarm bell" becomes the subject, "breaks" replaces "is broken," and "the silence" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: Change the past participle "broken" back to the base form "breaks" in the active voice.

Question 33. Mexico was conquered by Cortez.
Answer: Cortez conquered Mexico.
In simple words: "Cortez" becomes the subject, "conquered" replaces "was conquered," and "Mexico" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: Keep the past tense of the verb since the original passive used "was."

Question 34. Chinese is spoken by more than a billion people.
Answer: More than a billion people speak Chinese.
In simple words: "More than a billion people" becomes the subject, "speak" replaces "is spoken," and "Chinese" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: The plural subject "people" takes "speak" not "speaks" in the active voice.

Question 35. The sofa is delivered on time by the furniture store.
Answer: The furniture store delivers the sofa on time.
In simple words: "The furniture store" becomes the subject, "delivers" replaces "is delivered," and "the sofa" becomes the object; the time phrase stays the same.

Exam Tip: Keep all adverbs and time phrases in their original positions when changing voices.

Question 36. My finger was stuck by a pin.
Answer: A pin stuck my finger.
In simple words: "A pin" becomes the subject, "stuck" replaces "was stuck," and "my finger" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: Maintain the same tense - if the passive is past, the active should also be past.

Question 37. The Tony Awards were broadcast by CBS.
Answer: CBS broadcast the Tony Awards.
In simple words: "CBS" becomes the subject, "broadcast" replaces "were broadcast," and "the Tony Awards" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: With plural objects in passive, the verb is "were" - change this to the singular verb form in active when the subject is singular.

Question 38. This statue was sculpted by Bernini.
Answer: Bernini sculpted this statue.
In simple words: "Bernini" becomes the subject, "sculpted" replaces "was sculpted," and "this statue" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: Keep the past tense form of the verb to match the original passive structure.

Question 39. iPod was introduced by Apple Computer.
Answer: Apple Computer introduced iPod.
In simple words: "Apple Computer" becomes the subject, "introduced" replaces "was introduced," and "iPod" becomes the object.

Exam Tip: Always move the "by" phrase to the subject position and adjust the verb form accordingly.

Understanding the Word "By"

The word "by" has different uses in English. In passive sentences, "by" shows that the person or thing following it is the doer of the action. In other sentences, "by" shows location or position. For example, "The two bags were lost by Dina" uses "by" to show the doer in a passive sentence. But "She lives by the seashore" uses "by" to show location - the seashore is not doing anything.

Question 40. Each of the sentences below contains the word by. Decide if it is being used as a marker of the passive or to indicate location.
Answer: Look for the pattern of passive - a form of "be" before a past participle with "by" followed by a noun. If this pattern exists, "by" shows the doer in a passive sentence. If "by" shows where something is or sits, it shows location.
In simple words: If the sentence has "be" plus past participle plus "by," then "by" marks passive voice. If "by" simply tells where something is, it shows location.

Exam Tip: Ask yourself: "Is someone doing the action here?" If yes and "by" introduces them, it is passive. If not, "by" shows location.

Question 41. The trooper is pleased by the strategy.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Is pleased" is a passive structure - "is" is the passive be and "pleased" is the past participle. The strategy does something that creates the pleased state, making "by" mark the passive.

Exam Tip: Look for the "be + past participle + by" pattern - this always signals passive use of "by."

Question 42. The building by the bank is new.
Answer: Location
In simple words: "By the bank" tells where the building is located. There is no "be" plus past participle pattern, so "by" shows position, not passive action.

Exam Tip: When "by" appears without the passive structure (no "be" + past participle), it typically shows where something sits or is positioned.

Question 43. He was confused by that new information.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Was confused" is passive - "was" is the passive be and "confused" is the past participle. The new information caused the confusion, so "by" marks the doer in passive voice.

Exam Tip: The pattern "was confused by" is a classic passive structure - the information is the agent causing confusion.

Question 44. This afternoon we rested by the pond.
Answer: Location
In simple words: "By the pond" tells where we rested. This is not a passive structure - there is no "be" plus past participle, so "by" shows location.

Exam Tip: When "by" tells where an action took place, not who did it, it always shows location.

Question 45. The rally was attended by college students.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Was attended" is passive - "was" is the passive be and "attended" is the past participle. The college students are the doers, and "by" introduces them in a passive structure.

Exam Tip: The "was attended by" structure is passive - the students performed the action of attending.

Question 46. They don't want to buy the house by the highway.
Answer: Location
In simple words: "By the highway" tells where the house is. There is no passive pattern here, so "by" shows the location of the house, not a doer.

Exam Tip: Simple sentences about position or location use "by" to show where, not passive voice.

Question 47. The lost puppy was found by its owner.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Was found" is passive - "was" is passive be and "found" is the past participle. The owner is the doer who found the puppy, and "by" introduces this doer.

Exam Tip: The "was found by" pattern marks passive voice - the owner performed the action.

Question 48. The newlyweds were married by their hometown priest.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Were married" is passive - "were" is passive be and "married" is the past participle. The priest performed the action, and "by" introduces this doer.

Exam Tip: The "were married by" structure is passive voice - the priest is the one who married them.

Question 49. The case is tried by a newly elected judge.
Answer: Passive
In simple words: "Is tried" is passive - "is" is passive be and "tried" is the past participle. The judge tries the case, and "by