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Passive Voice Misuse Practice (B2) - English Grammar Quiz

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B2 📚 Type: Grammar ⭐ XP: up to +16 (on pass)

Challenge yourself: 15 Passive Voice Misuse questions, 7 minutes, Level B2. Can you get a perfect score? The questions start straightforward and build to tricky edge cases. Read every explanation to pick up tips that textbooks often skip.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: The report ___ by the manager before the deadline last week.

Question 1 options
'was reviewed' is correct because the passive voice in the simple past is formed with 'was/were' + past participle. 'reviewed' alone is missing the auxiliary verb, 'has been reviewed' uses the present perfect (wrong tense), and 'is reviewed' uses the present simple (wrong tense).
Q2 15

Question 2: The new safety regulations ___ by the government next month.

Question 2 options
'will be introduced' is correct because the future passive is formed with 'will be' + past participle. 'will introduce' is active voice, 'are introduced' is present simple passive (wrong tense), and 'were introduced' is past passive (wrong tense for a future event).
Q3 15

Question 3: The passive voice should always be avoided in formal writing because it weakens the message.

Question 3 options
False because the passive voice is not inherently wrong. It is appropriate when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or when the focus should be on the action rather than the doer. Misuse occurs when the passive is used unnecessarily or to avoid responsibility.
Q4 15

Question 4: Which situation most appropriately calls for the use of the passive voice?

Question 4 options
The passive voice is best used when the agent (doer) is unknown or unimportant, placing emphasis on the action or the receiver of the action. The other options describe situations where an active voice with a clear subject is more direct and natural.
Q5 15

Question 5: Arrange the words to make a correct sentence:

Question 5 options
  • The stolen car
  • near the river
  • was found
  • by the police

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'The stolen car was found by the police.' because the passive is structured as subject + was/were + past participle + by + agent.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice?

Question 6 options
'The contract was signed by both parties' is correct because it uses 'was' + past participle 'signed'. 'The contract signed by both parties' is missing the auxiliary verb, 'The contract was sign by both parties' uses the base form instead of a past participle, and 'The contract has sign by both parties' uses the base form with a present perfect auxiliary.
Q7 15

Question 7: Customer: 'I never received my refund.' Agent: 'I apologise. Your refund ___ to your account within 24 hours.' Which option best fits this professional context?

Question 7 options
'will be transferred' is correct because in a professional customer service context, the future passive is appropriate when the agent (the company) is less important than the action being taken. The other tenses do not fit the future promise being made.
Q8 15

Question 8: Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice rather than a disguised active structure?

Question 8 options
'The documents were shredded before the audit' correctly uses the passive because the agent is omitted as unknown or unimportant. The other options either use active voice or incorrectly omit the auxiliary 'be', making them structurally flawed passive attempts.
Q9 15

Question 9: Put the words in the correct order:

Question 9 options
  • The meeting
  • due to
  • has been cancelled
  • unforeseen circumstances

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'The meeting has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.' because the present perfect passive requires 'has been' + past participle, followed by the reason phrase.
Q10 15

Question 10: After the flood, all residents were told to evacuate. The sentence is best completed as: 'The decision ___ by local authorities to ensure public safety.'

Question 10 options
'was made' is correct because the simple past passive ('was' + past participle) is required here to match the past tense context and show that the authorities performed the action. 'made' alone is missing the auxiliary, 'has made' is active voice in the present perfect, and 'is making' is active present continuous.
Q11 15

Question 11: Which statement about the passive voice is true according to standard English grammar rules?

Question 11 options
The passive voice is formed with 'be' + past participle and is correctly used when the agent is unknown or unimportant. It is not always evasive or weak; it has legitimate uses. Overuse is the problem, not the structure itself.
Q12 15

Question 12: Rewrite in the passive: 'Scientists have discovered a new species of fish.' → A new species of fish ___ by scientists.

Question 12 options
'has been discovered' is correct because the present perfect passive is formed with 'has/have been' + past participle, matching the original present perfect active tense. 'was discovered' uses simple past, 'is discovered' uses simple present, and 'had been discovered' uses past perfect.
Q13 15

Question 13: Match each sentence to the correct grammar label.

Question 13 options
The server was hacked overnight, and all data was lost.
Mistakes were made by our team in the final report.
The head of department approved all budget requests.
A decision was reached regarding the matter.
Active voice — subject performs the action
Passive misuse — agent omitted to avoid responsibility
Passive misuse — known agent, active voice preferred
Appropriate passive — agent unknown

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Each sentence demonstrates a different use or misuse of the passive voice: appropriate passive (unknown agent), passive misuse (known agent should use active), active voice with clear agent, and over-nominalization disguising agency.
Q14 15

Question 14: In formal scientific writing, the passive voice is considered appropriate even when the agent is known, because the focus is on the process rather than the researcher.

Question 14 options
True because scientific and academic writing conventionally uses the passive voice to emphasise methodology and results over the individual performing the research. This is one context where passive voice is not considered a misuse.
Q15 15

Question 15: A company issues this public statement: 'Errors were made in the processing of your claims.' Which statement best describes this use of the passive voice?

Question 15 options
This is passive misuse because the known agent (the company) has been deliberately omitted to avoid accountability. Although grammatically correct, using the passive here is evasive and reduces trust. The active voice ('We made errors in processing your claims') would be more direct and honest.