This practice quiz asks you to change the original active sentence to
passive with the correct past passive modal form.
Be careful - some modals have several different meanings, and some meanings
are used with passive, but some are not.
MODALS THAT CAN BE USED FOR
PASSIVE IN PAST TIME
be
going to
be
supposed to
can't
could
had
better
have to / has
to
may
might
must
ought to
should
used to
would
If you choose a wrong answer, you'll see an
explanation to help you learn from your mistake.
ACTIVE: Paul was going to give the presentation, but Sam had to take his place at the last minute. PASSIVE: The presentation __ by Paul, but Sam had to take his place.
were going to be given
was going to be given
was going to be gived
ACTIVE: The CEO’s attorney was supposed to file that document with the court by last Friday, but he forgot, so the company fired him. PASSIVE: That document __ with the court by last Friday by the CEO’s attorney, but he forgot.
was suppose to be filed
was supposed to be filed
was supposed to filed
ACTIVE: “We think your son stole a car last night and drove it around town,” the policeman said. “He can’t have done it. My son has been sick in bed with the flu for the last three days!” the mother replied. “It must have been someone else.” PASSIVE: “The car __ by my son! He’s been sick in bed with the flu for the last three days.”
can't have been stolen
can't be stolen
can't have been stealed
ACTIVE: You could have completed your school science project on time if you had started it sooner. PASSIVE: Your school science project __ on time if you had started it sooner.
could been completed
could be completed
could have been completed
ACTIVE: “Son, you’re playing video games. Is your homework done? You had better have done your homework before you started playing!” said the father. PASSIVE: “It [the homework] __ before you started playing video games, or you’re in big trouble!”
had better be done
had better have been done
had better to be done
ACTIVE: Samsung had to pay an expensive license fee to Microsoft before it could use 3 of their patents in new Samsung smartphones. PASSIVE: An expensive license fee __ to Microsoft before Samsung could use 3 of their patents in new Samsung smartphones.
had to be paid
had to paid
had to be payed
ACTIVE: “Who took my laptop from my desk?” “Oh, the VP was giving a presentation and his laptop ‘died’ in the middle of it, so he may have taken it.” PASSIVE: “Your laptop __ by the VP when his laptop ‘died’ during his presentation.”
may had been taken
may have taken
may have been taken
ACTIVE: “How did Percy Spenser invent the microwave oven? It’s a great thing!” “I think he might have invented it by accident. I heard he was working with radar, and some popcorn nearby started popping because of the microwaves coming from his equipment.” PASSIVE: The microwave oven __by accident!
might have been invented
might had been invented
might have invented
ACTIVE: “Oh no! Where’s that beautiful dress I looked at yesterday? I decided to come back and buy it.” “They must have sold it already. I can't see it anywhere in the store." PASSIVE: It __. I can't see it anywhere in the store.
must have been already sold
must have been sold already
must had been sold already
ACTIVE: You ought to have planted those seeds over a month ago. It’s too late now. PASSIVE: Those seeds __ over a month ago.
ought have planted
ought to had planted
ought to have been planted
ACTIVE: The Smith family forgot to turn on their house alarm system when they went on vacation, and their house got robbed. They should have turned on the alarm system before they left on vacation. PASSIVE: The alarm system __ before they left on vacation.
should have been turned
should have been turned on
should had been turned on
ACTIVE: When I was a kid, they used to deliver fresh milk to our house every morning. PASSIVE: When I was a kid, fresh milk __ to our house every morning.
was used to be delivered
used to be delivered
used to delivered
ACTIVE: When we were in 6th grade, someone would leave flowers on Mrs. Bouvier’s desk every Friday without fail, and she never found out who was doing it. PASSIVE: When we were in 6th grade, flowers __ on Mrs. Bouvier’s desk every Friday without fail.
