Active and passive voice: Conversion - Grade 7 Assessment

True or False: The sentence 'The winning goal was scored by Maya' is written in the passive voice.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is true. The subject of the sentence, 'The winning goal,' is receiving the action ('was scored'). The person doing the action, 'Maya,' is mentioned after the verb in a 'by' phrase.

Which of these sentences is written in the passive voice?

• The dog chased the squirrel up the tree.

• The pizza was delivered right before the game started.

• My friend is drawing an amazing comic book.

• We will watch a new movie this weekend.

Answer explanation

This sentence is in the passive voice because the subject, 'the pizza,' is receiving the action of being delivered. The other sentences are active, where the subject is performing the action.

Convert this active sentence to passive voice by filling in the blanks. Active: 'My dad makes the best pancakes.' Passive: 'The best pancakes ______ ______ by my dad.'

Answer explanation

To change the present tense active verb 'makes' to passive, we use the present tense of 'to be' (are) plus the past participle of the main verb (made).

Choose the correct way to rewrite the following passive sentence in the active voice: 'The final level of the video game was beaten by Leo.'

• Leo beats the final level of the video game.

• Leo will beat the final level of the video game.

• Leo is beating the final level of the video game.

• Leo beat the final level of the video game.

Answer explanation

The passive sentence uses 'was beaten' (past tense). To make it active, the doer, 'Leo,' becomes the subject, and the verb changes to the simple past tense, 'beat'.

True or False: When you change a sentence from active to passive voice, the subject of the active sentence usually becomes the object of the preposition 'by'.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is a key part of the conversion. In 'The boy hit the ball' (active), 'The boy' is the subject. In 'The ball was hit by the boy' (passive), 'the boy' is now the object of the preposition 'by'.

Change this sentence from active to passive voice by filling in the blanks. Active: 'The students are decorating the gym.' Passive: 'The gym ______ ______ decorated by the students.'

Answer explanation

For the present continuous tense ('are decorating'), the passive form uses 'is being' or 'are being' followed by the past participle ('decorated'). Since 'gym' is singular, we use 'is being'.

Which sentence is the best passive voice conversion of 'Someone has taken my lunchbox'?

• My lunchbox was taken.

• My lunchbox is being taken.

• My lunchbox has been taken.

• My lunchbox had been taken.

Answer explanation

The active sentence uses the present perfect tense ('has taken'). The passive form for this tense is 'has been' or 'have been' plus the past participle. Since the original doer ('Someone') is unknown or unimportant, it is often left out in the passive version.

Rewrite this passive sentence in the active voice by filling in the blanks. Passive: 'The problem was being figured out by the team.' Active: 'The team ______ ______ ______ the problem.'

Answer explanation

The passive sentence is in the past continuous tense ('was being figured out'). The active form requires the subject ('The team') to perform the action using the past continuous verb form, 'was figuring out'.

How would you change this active sentence to the passive voice? 'You must complete the assignment by Tuesday.'

• The assignment is completed by Tuesday.

• The assignment was completed by Tuesday.

• The assignment has been completed by Tuesday.

• The assignment must be completed by Tuesday.

Answer explanation

When an active sentence has a modal verb like 'must,' the passive form is created by using the modal verb + 'be' + the past participle of the main verb ('must be completed'). The doer ('you') is implied and doesn't need to be stated.

This passive sentence starts with 'It is...'. Rewrite it in the active voice by supplying a logical subject. Passive: 'It is known that hummingbirds can fly backwards.' Active: '______ ______ that hummingbirds can fly backwards.'

Answer explanation

Sentences like 'It is known' are a form of impersonal passive voice. To make them active, you need to add a subject that does the action. 'People' or 'We' are common choices. The active verb becomes 'know'.