Active and Passive Verbs Quiz

October 20, 2015

Instructions

This quiz has twenty questions to test your knowledge of active and passive verbs.

Read the directions for each question carefully. Choose the sentence that contains either an active or passive verb (according to the directions for that question).

If you haven’t read the brief overview of active and passive verbs for this quiz, read it here.

When you’re finished, click “Show results.” The page will scroll up automatically. Correct responses are marked with green check marks; incorrect responses are marked with a red X.

Explanations follow when you’re finished and have clicked “Show results.”

Assume punctuation and other aspects of grammar are correct—don’t get sidetracked. Remember, this quiz focuses only on active and passive verb forms. If you have questions, leave them in the comment section!

Good luck! Oh, and make sure the sentence you choose makes logical sense. I had a bit of fun with this one. It’s based on something that really happened although I changed names to protect the innocent. And I exaggerated a lot. 🙂

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1. Time to celebrate. Which sentence contains an active main verb?

A. To celebrate completion of their graduate studies, a writers conference has been attended by Katyana and Julie at a local university.

B. To celebrate completion of their graduate studies, a writers conference at a local university was attended by Katyana and Julie.

C. To celebrate completion of their graduate studies, Katyana and Julie attended a writers conference at a local university.

D. A writers conference at a local university will have been attended by Katyana and Julie to celebrate completion of their graduate studies.

2. A plan takes shape. Which sentence uses a passive main verb?

A. They made plans for an entire weekend of fun and learning.

B. Their good planning will create an entire weekend of fun and
learning.

C. They planned an entire weekend of fun and learning.

D. Plans were made for an entire weekend of fun and learning.

3. Security hassles! Which sentence has a passive main verb?

A. Upon their arrival, the ID badges that hung around their necks were checked by security guards.

B. Upon their arrival, security guards that hung around their necks checked the ID badges.

C. Upon their arrival, the ID badges that hung around their necks checked the security guards.

D. Upon their arrival, security guards checked the ID badges that hung around their necks.

4. And the fun begins. Which sentence contains an active main verb?

A. At the start of the three-day conference, seats in an enormous auditorium, where conference organizers highlighted the events of the weekend, were taken by the two women.

B. At the start of the three-day conference, the two women took seats in an enormous auditorium where conference organizers highlighted the events of the weekend.

C. At the start of the three-day conference, an enormous auditorium where conference organizers highlighted the events of the weekend was where the two women took seats.

D. At the start of the three-day conference, seats were taken by the two women in an enormous auditorium where conference organizers highlighted the events of the weekend.

5. Time to kick back and enjoy. Which sentence contains a passive main verb?

A. Lesser-known authors, reading selections from their most recent novels, essays, or collections of poetry, became famous.

B. Selections from their most recent novels, essays, or collections of poetry were read by famous as well as lesser-known authors.

C. Famous as well as lesser-known authors read selections from their most recent novels, essays, or collections of poetry.

D. Selections by famous as well as lesser-known authors were reading from their most recent novels, essays, or collections of poetry.

6. Can they take the heat? Choose the sentence with a passive verb.

A. In various workshops, participants gave suggestions to Katyana and Julie for improvement on their poetry and short story submissions.

B. In various workshops, Katyana and Julie kindly suggested that they’d like to receive suggestions from other participants to improve their poetry and short story submissions.

C. In various workshops, Katyana and Julie offered suggestions to other participants for improvement on their poetry and short story submissions.

D. In various workshops, suggestions were given to Katyana and Julie by other participants for improvement on their poems and short story submissions.

7. Totally gross! Which sentence contains an active main verb?

A. New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Harrison read a detailed essay on the horror of finding a tick embedded in her young daughter’s scalp.

B. New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Harrison was horrified by a detailed essay about finding an embedded tick in her young daughter’s scalp.

C. A detailed essay on the horror of finding a tick embedded in her young daughter’s scalp was read by New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Harrison.

D. New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Harrison, while reading a detailed essay, was horrified by a tick embedded in her young daughter’s scalp.

8. No freaking out now. Pick the sentence with the active main verb.

A. After the reading, Julie was horrified by mental images of ticks, which she claims caused post traumatic stress disorder.

B. After the reading, post traumatic stress dis order, caused by mental images of horrified ticks, is what Julie claims to have.

C. After the reading, mental images of ticks horrified Julie, which she claims caused post traumatic stress disorder.

D. After the reading, Julie’s mental images of stress, which she claims were horrifying, were because of post traumatic tick disorder.

9. Making friends. A passive main verb is featured in which sentence?

A. At lunch, Julie and Katyana joined a friendly bunch of conference participants for lunch.

B. At lunch, Julie and Katyana were friendly to the idea of joining a bunch of conference participants.

C. Julie and Katyana enjoyed having lunch with a friendly bunch of conference participants.

D. At lunch, Julie and Katyana were joined by a friendly bunch of conference participants.

10. So much to do, so little time. Which sentence contains an active main verb?

A. In the afternoon, short stories, poems, or novel chapters, which were written by other participants, were discussed by Julie and Katyana.

B. In the afternoon, Julie and Katyana discussed short stories, poems, or novel chapters written by other participants.

C. In the afternoon, short stories, poems, or novel chapters written by other participants were discussed by Julie and Katyana.

D. In the afternoon, Julie and Katyana, along with other participants, could be found discussing short stories, poems, or novel chapters.

11. Julie’s having issues. A passive verb is used in which sentence?

A. Julie wrote convoluted, indecipherable, and essentially useless comments on manuscripts to amuse herself.

B. Julie—convoluted, indecipherable, and essentially useless—commented on manuscripts to amuse herself.

C. Julie, herself amused by convoluted, indecipherable, and essentially useless writing, commented on manuscripts.

D. Convoluted, indecipherable, and essentially useless comments on manuscripts were written by Julie to amuse herself.

12. Talented writers emerge. Choose the sentence with the active verb.

A. Although many writing samples needed work, some writers shared outstanding examples of fine writing.

B. Although many writers needed work, some outstanding writing examples were shared by samples.

C. Although many writing samples needed work, some outstanding examples were shared by writers.

D. Although many writing samples needed work, outstanding examples of fine writing were shared by some writers.

13. Our friends are getting antsy. Which sentence describes their behavior with an active verb?

A. Katyana and Julie, bored out of their minds, threw spitballs during a particularly insipid presentation.

B. Bored out of their minds, spitballs were thrown by Katyana and Julie during a particularly insipid presentation.

C. Katyana and Julie, bored out of their minds, were throwing spitballs during a particularly insipid presentation.

D. Both A and C

14. Things are getting out of hand. Which sentence contains a passive main verb?

A. A pompous professor gave Julie a disapproving scowl when she burped loudly.

B. When a pompous professor scowled disapprovingly, Julie burped loudly.

C. Julie was given a disapproving scowl by a pompous professor when she burped loudly.

D. Burping loudly, a pompous professor scowled disapprovingly at Julie.

15. Are things getting better or worse? Select the sentence with a passive main verb.

A. Later, the professor inspected Julie’s short skirt and fishnet stockings, which changed his sour demeanor.

B. Later, Julie’s short skirt and fishnet stockings were inspected by the professor, who changed his sour demeanor.

C. Later, changing their sour demeanor, Julie’s short skirt and fishnet stockings inspected the professor.

D. Later, the professor’s sour demeanor changed as he inspected Julie’s short skirt and fishnet stockings.

16. Things are definitely getting worse. Which sentence contains the active main verb?

A. Several older women verbally abused Julie for saying something negative about their writing in an earlier workshop.

B. Julie was verbally abused by several older women for saying something negative about their writing in an earlier workshop.

C. Several older women had been verbally abusing Julie for saying something negative about their writing in an earlier workshop.

D. Both A and C

17. Events take a positive turn. Choose the sentence with a passive main verb.

A. By the end of the conference, Julie’s novel manuscript was accepted by a persnickety agent she met in the restroom.

B. By the end of the conference, Julie added a persnickety agent she met in the restroom to her novel manuscript.

C. Julie, having met a persnickety agent, accepted her novel manuscript in the restroom by the end of the conference.

D. By the end of the conference, the persnickety agent Julie met in the restroom accepted her novel manuscript.

18. Thinking positive. An active main verb is found in which sentence?

A. Fame and fortune that would surely be theirs were gathered by conference attendees enthused about their writing samples.

B. Writing samples were gathered while conference attendees enthused about the fame and fortune that would surely be theirs.

C. Conference attendees gathered their writing samples while enthusing about the fame and fortune that would surely be theirs.

D. While enthusing about the fame and fortune that would surely be theirs, conference attendees and their writing samples were gathered.

19. Not everyone is thinking positive. Select the sentence with the passive main verb.

A. A sobbing woman threw her flaming manuscript in a large trash dumpster, which caused an inferno and a rapidly spreading brush fire.

B. A woman, sobbing with her flaming manuscript near a large trash dumpster, caused an inferno and a rapidly spreading brush fire.

C. A flaming manuscript was thrown in a large trash dumpster by a sobbing woman, which caused an inferno and a rapidly spreading brush fire.

D. A large trash dumpster, into which a sobbing woman’s flaming manuscript was thrown, caused an inferno and a rapidly spreading brush fire.

20. Got lemons? Make lemonade! Which sentence contains an active main verb?

A. Blocking the parking lot, Julie and Katyana were taken by five big fire trucks and a train to their favorite restaurant.

B. With five big fire trucks blocking the parking lot, a train was taken by Julie and Katyana to their favorite restaurant.

C. With Julie and Katyana blocking the parking lot, five big firetrucks were taken by a train to their favorite restaurant.

D. With five big fire trucks blocking the parking lot, Julie and Katyana took a train to their favorite restaurant.