Tenses – Passives
Question 1
_____ there a toilet upstairs?
With there + a singular noun we ask questions with Is there…?: Is there a toilet upstairs?
Question 2
My English is _____ better.
is getting is the present continuous. It shows something that is changing now: My English is getting better.
Question 3
A: Why are you late?
B: I _____ on the wrong bus.
It happened earlier today and is finished, so we use the past simple: got.
Question 4
The French Revolution _____ in 1789.
In 1789 is a finished time in the past, so we use the past simple: happened.
Question 5
A: Who discovered penicillin?
B: _____.
The question is about the past, so B answers with the past passive: It was discovered by Alexander Fleming. It means penicillin. Not Penicillin was discovered by him, because A wants the name, and him doesn't tell us who it was.
Question 6
A: Was the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell?
B: Yes, _____.
The answer says the same thing in the active: the person who did it comes first: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. The other options change the meaning or use the wrong tense.
Question 7
Who _____ next to you now?
now shows the action is happening at this moment, so we use the present continuous: is sitting.
Question 8
A: Can I speak to Mr Rich?
B: I’m sorry, he _____.
He can't speak now because of what he is doing at this moment, so we use the present continuous: is sleeping.
Question 9
Lucy often _____ red.
often shows a habit, so we use the present simple. With she/he we add -s: wears.
Question 10
A: How was the party?
B: Very nice but Thomas _____ too much.
The party is finished, so we use the past simple: drank. drunk is the past participle (has drunk).
Question 11
We can’t eat rice before it’s _____.
The rice doesn't cook itself; someone cooks it. So we use the passive: it's (it is) cooked.
Question 12
You cannot take good photographs when it _____ cloudy.
This is a general fact, so we use the present simple: when it is cloudy.
Question 13
It was raining when I _____ the house this morning.
this morning is finished, and leaving the house was a short action, so we use the past simple: left.
Question 14
Bread _____ from wheat.
This is a general fact about how bread is produced, so we use the present simple passive. Bread is singular: is made.
Question 15
She _____ to the market right now.
right now means at this moment, so we use the present continuous: is going. Not went, because that is about the past.
Question 16
I saw you on the bus yesterday. Where _____ you _____?
We ask about an action in progress at a time in the past (yesterday, on the bus), so we use the past continuous: Where were you going?
Question 17
Our house _____ painted at the moment.
at the moment shows it is happening now, and someone is doing the painting, so we use the present continuous passive: is being painted.
Question 18
She’s going _____ an operation.
For future plans we use be going to + verb: She's going to have an operation.
Question 19
_____ the meat smell bad?
smell is a normal verb here, so the question uses do/does. The meat is singular: Does the meat smell bad?
Question 20
I _____ them since Tuesday.
since Tuesday means from Tuesday until now, so we use the present perfect: haven't seen. Not hasn't, because with I we use have.
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