The Present Passive

• CEFR B1
• Grammar
• Printable
• Answer key

The Present Passive is a printable grammar worksheet for English language learners at CEFR level B1. It covers am / is / are + past participle, with 5 exercises and an answer key.

The passive focuses on what happens to something, not on who does it.

Form: subject + am / is / are + past participle

Add 'by + agent' when it is important to say who does the action.

Examples

• English is taught in schools all over the world.
• These cars are made in Germany.
• Coffee is grown in Colombia and Ethiopia.
• The office is cleaned every evening.
• My salary is paid at the end of the month.
• Is Japanese spoken in this area?
• Mobile phones are used by billions of people.
• This building is owned by the university.

What's in this worksheet

1. Complete with passive
2. Correct the mistake
3. Active to passive
4. Your country
5. Write the question

Common mistakes

• English is teach in schools.  →  English is taught in schools. Use the past participle ('taught'), not the base verb, in the passive.
• These cars are making in Germany.  →  These cars are made in Germany. Use the past participle ('made'), not the -ing form, in the passive.
• The rooms is cleaned every day.  →  The rooms are cleaned every day. Use 'are' with a plural subject, not 'is'.
• Coffee grows in Colombia.  →  Coffee is grown in Colombia. To use the passive, add 'is/are' before the past participle.

Speaking prompts

• What is your country famous for? What is produced or made there?
• What languages are spoken in your country?
• What food is eaten most in your culture?
• What is sold in the market near where you live?