Grammar › Past passive

Past passive: positive sentences

600 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 60 tests of ten

Was or were, then the past participle of the verb.

The past participle is the third form in verb tables: written, gone, built. It never changes with the subject.

The pattern

Was or were, then the past participle:

The prize was presented by the mayor.

Where the mistakes happen

Almost every error in this tense is the same one: the writer uses the past form instead of the third form. The two are identical for regular verbs, which is why the problem only shows up with irregulars.

was wrote → was written was took → was taken was broke → was broken

If the verb is irregular, check the third column of the table before you write.

Dates and the by phrase

History sentences usually carry both:

The cathedral was completed in 1248. The music was written by a student.

Reporting what was said

A group of verbs is almost always passive in this use:

It was reported that… He was said to be… The company was thought to be profitable.

All forms

Examples

Taken from the 600 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.

• The report was written by the research team in my grandfather's time.
• The dress was designed by a renowned fashion designer.
• The machine was repaired in the workshop last fall.
• The delicious meal was prepared by a professional chef.
• The program was created by the software developer.
• The parcel was delivered to the office last Tuesday.
• The price was fixed by the head office in the old days.
• The valuable painting was painted by a renowned artist.
• The project was completed by the team of engineers.
• The song was performed by the school choir in my grandfather's time.
• The photograph was taken by a professional photographer.
• The article was published in a monthly journal during the renovation.

Mistakes to avoid

Quick choices from this form

Other forms of Past passive