Professional Communication Multiple Choice Questions on “Interchange of Active and Passive Voice”.
1. The passive of an active tense is formed by inserting the verb ‘to be’ into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The statement is true. The passive of an active tense is formed by inserting the verb ‘to be’ into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb. For example, active voice: He threw the ball. Passive voice: The ball was thrown by him.
2. Convert the following sentence in active voice to passive voice :
He is writing the book.
a) The book has been written by him.
b) The book is being written by him.
c) The book is written by him.
d) The book was written by him.
Answer: b
Clarification: The correct statement is : The book is being written by him. The passive of continuous tenses requires the present continuous form of “to be”. And the verb ‘writing’ needs to be converted to its past participle form, that is, ‘written’.
3. Auxiliary + infinitive combinations are made passive by using a passive infinitive.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The statement is true. Auxiliary + infinitive combinations are made passive by using a passive infinitive. Example : Active : You must write this letter. Passive : This letter must be written by you.
4. Verbs of which of these do not form their passive with the passive infinitive?
a) Liking
b) Loving
c) Wanting
d) Advice
Answer: d
Clarification: Verbs of liking/ loving/ wanting/ wishing etc + object + infinitive form their passive with the passive infinitive.
5. Verbs of which of these form their passive by using the passive form of the main verb.
a) Wanting
b) Wishing
c) Liking
d) Command
Answer: d
Clarification: Verbs of advice, command etc + indirect object + infinitive form their passive by using the passive form of the main verb.
6. Convert the following active form to passive form :
I was determined to mortgage the car.
a) I was determined that the car should be mortgaged.
b) The car was determined to be mortgaged.
c) I was determined that car will be mortgaged.
d) I am determined that car will be mortgaged.
Answer: a
Clarification: The correct statement is: I was determined that the car should be mortgaged. Agree/ be anxious/ arrange/ be determined/ determine/ decide + infinitive + object are usually expressed in the passive by that…should.
7. Which of these is not an use of the passive voice?
a) When we know about the doer of the action.
b) When the subject of the active verb would be people.
c) To avoid awkward or ungrammatical sentences.
d) When an active form would create problems for the speaker.
Answer: a
Clarification: The passive voice has a lot of uses. Some of them are : When we don’t know about the doer of the action, when the subject of the active verb would be people, to avoid awkward or ungrammatical sentences, etc.
8. Which of these is not a part of speech?
a) Noun
b) Verb
c) Preposition
d) Object
Answer: d
Clarification: There are eight parts of speech. They are : Noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
9. In the following sentence, replace the verb by a noun :
He fought bravely.
a) He put up a brave fight.
b) A fight was put up bravely.
c) A brave fight was put up.
d) A fight is put up bravely.
Answer: a
Clarification: The correct statement is: He put up a brave fight. Here fought is a verb and fight is a noun. So there is interchange of part of speech.
10. In the following sentence, replace the adverb with a noun:
He watched the girl carefully.
a) He watched her with care.
b) He watched the girl with great care.
c) With care he watched her.
d) Care was taken while watching her.
Answer: b
Clarification: The correct statement is: He watched the girl with great care. Here, carefully is an adverb and care is a noun.