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Grade 9 English Language Arts — The passive in every tense

Form the passive in any tense, and with a modal verb or an imperative.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Complete the passive: The bridge ____ by next June. (verb: complete)

  2. 2.Complete the passive using "can", with three words: This problem ____ in two ways. (verb: solve)

  3. 3.Change to the active: "The trees had been planted by the villagers."

    • a) The villagers plant the trees.
    • b) The villagers have planted the trees.
    • c) The villagers had planted the trees.
    • d) The trees planted the villagers.

  4. 4.Match each active sentence to its passive form.

    • They clean the hall.
    • They are cleaning the hall.
    • They cleaned the hall.
    • They have cleaned the hall.
    • They will clean the hall.
    • They must clean the hall.
    • The hall was cleaned.
    • The hall must be cleaned.
    • The hall will be cleaned.
    • The hall has been cleaned.
    • The hall is cleaned.
    • The hall is being cleaned.

  5. 5.Sort each passive verb phrase by whether it carries a modal verb.

    Groups: Passive with a modal · Passive without a modal

    • was washed
    • has been signed
    • must be signed
    • can be repaired
    • is repaired
    • should be washed

  6. 6.Why might a writer choose the passive in "The window was broken during the night"?

    • a) To move the sentence into the future.
    • b) Because who broke it is unknown or does not matter.
    • c) To turn the sentence into a question.
    • d) To say clearly who broke it.

  7. 7.Change to the passive: "They have finished the work."

    • a) The work has finished.
    • b) The work is finished by them.
    • c) The work had been finished.
    • d) The work has been finished.

  8. 8.Which sentence is the passive of the command "Close the gate"?

    • a) The gate closed.
    • b) The gate closes.
    • c) Let the gate be closed.
    • d) The gate is closing.

Answer key — Grade 9 English Language Arts — The passive in every tense

  1. 1.
    • will be completed
    • will have been completed
  2. 2. can be solved
  3. 3. c) The villagers had planted the trees.
  4. 4. They clean the hall. → The hall is cleaned.; They are cleaning the hall. → The hall is being cleaned.; They cleaned the hall. → The hall was cleaned.; They have cleaned the hall. → The hall has been cleaned.; They will clean the hall. → The hall will be cleaned.; They must clean the hall. → The hall must be cleaned.
  5. 5. should be washed → Passive with a modal; was washed → Passive without a modal; must be signed → Passive with a modal; has been signed → Passive without a modal; can be repaired → Passive with a modal; is repaired → Passive without a modal
  6. 6. b) Because who broke it is unknown or does not matter.
  7. 7. d) The work has been finished.
  8. 8. c) Let the gate be closed.