Active and passive voice exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verb.

1. The lion …………………………………. the elephant.

a) was killed
b) killed
c) killing
d) is killed

2. He ………………………………. to a higher class.

a) has promoted
b) had promoted
c) has been promoted
d) promoted

3. She …………………………………. going to Madras next week.

a) will
b) will be
c) was
d) should

4. I ……………………………. to help him.

a) have been promised
b) has promised
c) have promised
d) was promised

5. He felt that he …………………………….. by the shop-keeper.

a) had cheated
b) had been cheated
c) has been cheated
d) has cheated

6. The boy ………………………………. by his teachers and friends.

a) congratulated
b) was congratulated
c) had congratulated
d) had been congratulated

Answers

1. The lion killed the elephant. (Here the subject performs the action and hence an active verb is required.)

2. He has been promoted to a higher class. (Here the subject receives the action and hence a passive verb is required.)

3. She will be going to Madras next week.

4. I have promised to help him. (Here the subject is the doer of the action and hence an active verb is required.)

5. He felt that he had been cheated by the shop-keeper. (The agent ‘by’ clearly indicates that we need a passive verb here.)

6. The boy was congratulated by his teachers and friends.