Fill in the blanks with suitable active and passive verb forms
He ............................ a very remarkable discovery.
Answer: B
Correct answer: made
He is the one who made the discovery, so the verb is active. Was made would make him the thing discovered, and is made mixes a present passive into a past event.
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The accused ........................... to a tree.
Answer: C
Correct answer: was bound
To a tree shows that the accused was acted upon, so the verb is passive: was bound. Bind and bound alone are active forms.
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She ................................ the first prize in the competition.
Answer: A
Correct answer: won
She is the winner, so the verb stays active and past. Was won would make her the prize, and has won loses the connection with the completed competition.
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The ocean .................................... dry.
Answer: B
Correct answer: cannot be pumped
The ocean is the thing that would be pumped, so the modal takes be + participle. Cannot pump would make the ocean do the pumping.
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I ..................................... to leave the room.
Answer: C
Correct answer: was told
I am the one who received the instruction, so the verb is passive: was told. Told and have told would make me the one giving it.
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This house -------- in 1970 by my grandfather
Answer: B
Correct answer: Was built
The date in 1970 fixes the tense as past, and by my grandfather marks the sentence as passive, so the verb is was built. Was build uses the base form where the participle belongs.
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The robbers --------- by the police.
Answer: B
Correct answer: Have been arrested
By the police marks the sentence as passive, and the robbers are plural, so the present perfect passive is have been arrested. Have arrested is active and would make the robbers the arresting party.
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We -------- for the examination.
Answer: B
Correct answer: Are preparing
We are the ones doing the preparing, so the verb is active: the present continuous are preparing. Have been prepared is passive and would make us the thing prepared.
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It ------- since yesterday.
Answer: B
Correct answer: Has been raining
Since yesterday marks a period running up to now, which is what the present perfect continuous expresses. It is singular, so the auxiliary is has, not have.
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I --------- for five hours.
Answer: A
Correct answer: Have been working
For five hours marks a duration continuing to the present, so the present perfect continuous is needed, and I takes have. Was working closes the period off in the past.
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