Passive and Causative Descriptions
About this practice test
Practise B2 Use of English through sentence building. Build accuracy with passive and causative and reporting infinitives.
What you’ll practice
Grammar and vocabulary
Choose forms and words that work together.
Meaning in context
Follow meaning across sentences and texts.
Accurate expression
Use natural phrases and sentence patterns.
What to expect:
10 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
- Sentence reordering
How to approach this practice
Read the complete context. Check both the meaning and the grammar, including word forms, collocations and links between sentences.
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Question 1 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Arrange the chunks to say that we arranged for someone else to check the equipment. Use the causative pattern have + object + past participle. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- We
- before
- had the equipment
- installation.
- tested
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- We had the equipment tested before installation.
Causative have + object + past participle describes arranging for someone else to test the equipment before installation.
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Question 2 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The documents
- are believed
- destroyed
- during the fire.
- to have been
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The documents are believed to have been destroyed during the fire.
The reporting predicate takes a perfect passive infinitive.
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Question 3 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The office
- is being
- redecorated
- staff work from home.
- while
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The office is being redecorated while staff work from home.
Present continuous passive precedes the simultaneous while-clause.
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Question 4 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- She
- by a local technician.
- got
- her laptop
- repaired
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- She got her laptop repaired by a local technician.
Get an object repaired is a causative passive.
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Question 5 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The new rules
- are expected
- into effect
- next month.
- to come
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The new rules are expected to come into effect next month.
Expected takes a to-infinitive; come into effect means begin applying.
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Question 6 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The team
- the test
- to repeat
- under supervision.
- was made
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The team was made to repeat the test under supervision.
Passive made requires to before repeat.
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Question 7 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The application
- must have been
- sent
- the wrong address.
- to
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The application must have been sent to the wrong address.
A modal perfect passive is followed by the destination phrase.
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Question 8 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- We
- are having
- replaced
- the windows
- this week.
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- We are having the windows replaced this week.
The continuous causative is are having an object replaced.
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Question 9 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The manager
- alternatives.
- is said
- several
- to be considering
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The manager is said to be considering several alternatives.
The reporting construction takes a continuous infinitive for current consideration.
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Question 10 · Sentence reordering
Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.
Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.
Sentence parts
- The error
- before
- noticed
- should have been
- the report was issued.
Check answers and explanations
- Correct order
- The error should have been noticed before the report was issued.
Should have been noticed expresses a missed expected past check.
What to review next
Explain why each answer fits the meaning and structure. Record useful phrases and write a new example using each pattern you found difficult.
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.