Passive and Causative Forms
About this practice test
Build B2 English grammar skills with passive forms, passive infinitives, causatives, expected outcomes, and reduced passive clauses in technology contexts.
What you’ll practice
Form and structure
Choose accurate forms and word order.
Meaning in context
Use grammar to express precise ideas.
Editing for accuracy
Spot and correct common errors.
What to expect:
5 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
The software update ___ by the team last night.
- was installed
- installed
- has installing
- was installing
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- was installed
The subject receives the action, so use the past passive was installed.
was installed: Correct: The update was installed by the team.
installed: A passive auxiliary is required before the past participle.
has installing: This combines incompatible auxiliary and verb forms.
was installing: The active progressive form does not show that the update received the action.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
The report must ___ before noon.
- be submitted
- submit
- be submitting
- submitted
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- be submitted
After a modal in a passive sentence, use be plus the past participle.
be submitted: Correct: must be submitted.
submit: This would make the report the active agent.
be submitting: The progressive form is not required here.
submitted: The passive auxiliary be is missing.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
We had the printer ___ yesterday.
- repaired
- repairing
- to repair
- repairs
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- repaired
The causative structure have something done uses have plus an object plus the past participle.
repaired: Correct: had the printer repaired.
repairing: The -ing form does not complete this causative structure.
to repair: The infinitive is not used after the object in this causative pattern.
repairs: The third-person singular present form is not possible here.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
The new system is expected ___ costs.
- to reduce
- reducing
- reduced
- reduce
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- to reduce
Expected is followed by a to-infinitive when describing a predicted result.
to reduce: Correct: is expected to reduce costs.
reducing: The gerund does not follow expected in this structure.
reduced: The past participle would not complete the expected-to pattern.
reduce: The infinitive marker to is required.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
The devices ___ in Germany are sold worldwide.
- manufactured
- manufacturing
- are manufacture
- manufacture
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- manufactured
A past participle can reduce a passive relative clause: devices that are manufactured becomes devices manufactured.
manufactured: Correct: devices manufactured in Germany.
manufacturing: The devices are not carrying out the manufacturing action.
are manufacture: This is not a valid verb form.
manufacture: The base verb would make the devices the agents.
What to review next
After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Focus on the action or its recipient.
The window was repaired yesterday.
Was + past participle forms the past simple passive. The sentence focuses on the window rather than the person who repaired it.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.