Choose the best passive form to complete each sentence.
1The printer is still running, so please wait while your visitor badge ...............
Wrong!
The printer is still operating, so "is being printed" describes an action in progress now.
2According to the email log, the documents ............... at 3 p.m. yesterday.
Wrong!
The finished time "at 3 p.m. yesterday" requires the past passive "were sent".
3Throughout the six-month repair project last year, traffic used a temporary road while the old bridge ...............
Wrong!
The repair continued throughout the project, so "was being repaired" expresses an ongoing past action.
4When I returned to the shop, the customer had already left with my jacket; it ............... to her by mistake.
Wrong!
The sale was complete before the customer left, so "had already been sold" is required.
5Next Friday marks one month since the new booking system was launched. By then, it ............... by staff for a full month.
Wrong!
The duration will be complete by a future time, so "will have been used" is the correct future perfect passive.
6Management says every candidate must be interviewed first, so the final decision ...............
Wrong!
All interviews must happen first, so the decision "won't be made until after Friday's last interview".
7Because this medicine may cause sleepiness, it ............... before driving.
Wrong!
The warning requires prohibition, expressed by the passive form "must not be taken".
8An experienced colleague will train them on their first day, so new staff ...............
Wrong!
The experienced colleague performs the action, so the new staff "will be shown the system by an experienced colleague".
9We cannot use the meeting room this afternoon because it ............... by another team from two until four.
Wrong!
The future time "this afternoon" and the scheduled period require "is being used".
10The road ............... for three weeks after the accident, but it reopened yesterday.
Wrong!
The closure is a finished past period because the road reopened, so "was closed" is correct.
11Since online booking opened on Monday, more than 500 tickets ...............
Wrong!
"Since online booking opened" describes a period continuing to now, so "have been sold" is required.
12The interview was three weeks ago, and the promised two-week deadline has passed. We ............... by now.
Wrong!
The promised deadline has passed, so "should have been notified" expresses an expected past action that did not happen.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- The printer is still running, so please wait while your visitor badge is being printed .
- According to the email log, the documents were sent at 3 p.m. yesterday.
- Throughout the six-month repair project last year, traffic used a temporary road while the old bridge was being repaired .
- When I returned to the shop, the customer had already left with my jacket; it had already been sold to her by mistake.
- Next Friday marks one month since the new booking system was launched. By then, it will have been used by staff for a full month.
- Management says every candidate must be interviewed first, so the final decision won’t be made until after Friday’s last interview .
- Because this medicine may cause sleepiness, it must not be taken before driving.
- An experienced colleague will train them on their first day, so new staff will be shown the system by an experienced colleague .
- We cannot use the meeting room this afternoon because it is being used by another team from two until four.
- The road was closed for three weeks after the accident, but it reopened yesterday.
- Since online booking opened on Monday, more than 500 tickets have been sold .
- The interview was three weeks ago, and the promised two-week deadline has passed. We should have been notified by now.