Active and Passive Voice

8 Grade 10 English questions on Active and Passive Voice, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   3 marks

   Read the sentence below and answer the questions that follow. "The revised examination timetable was pinned on the notice board on Monday morning."

   (a) Rewrite the sentence in the active voice, supplying a suitable doer.

   (b) State the grammatical function of the phrase 'the revised examination timetable' in the sentence you have written in (a).

   (c) Explain why the original writer left the doer out.

   (3 marks)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   A newspaper report states: "A detailed report on the flooding in Budalang'i was submitted to the ministry." Which explanation best accounts for the writer's choice of the passive voice here?

   A. The passive voice is always more formal than the active, so every report must be written in it.

   B. The passive voice changes the verb from the past tense to the present tense.

   C. The passive version is shorter than the active version would be.

   D. The person who submitted the report is unknown or unimportant, so the passive keeps the reader's attention on the report itself.

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Which one of the following sentences is written in the passive voice?

   A. The tea pickers carried heavy sacks to the weighing shed.

   B. The factory manager was walking between the rows of bushes.

   C. The green leaf was weighed at the collection centre before dusk.

   D. The lorry arrived late because the road was slippery.

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   3 marks

   Newspaper reports on road crashes often use the passive voice, as in "Three vehicles were towed from the scene." Explain three reasons a reporter may choose the passive voice in such a report.

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark each for any three of the following, provided the point is explained and not merely named: - The doer of the action is unknown, so the reporter cannot name an agent. - The doer is obvious or unimportant, so naming it would add nothing (everyone knows police or a towing firm tow vehicles). - The passive keeps the reader's attention on the event or the victims rather than on the doer. - The passive allows the reporter to avoid assigning blame before investigations are complete. - The passive lets the reporter begin with information already known to the reader, so the report flows from one sentence to the next. Maximum 3 marks.

5. Question 5

   1 mark

   "The head teacher awarded Mumo a trophy at the end of the term." Which passive version keeps Mumo as the subject of the sentence?

   A. Mumo was awarded by a trophy from the head teacher at the end of the term.

   B. A trophy was awarded Mumo by the head teacher at the end of the term.

   C. Mumo was awarded a trophy by the head teacher at the end of the term.

   D. Mumo had awarded a trophy by the head teacher at the end of the term.

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   Rewrite the following sentence in the passive voice: "The county government tarmacked the road to Kericho market last year." Which version is correct?

   A. The road to Kericho market is tarmacked by the county government last year.

   B. The road to Kericho market was tarmacking by the county government last year.

   C. The road to Kericho market was tarmacked by the county government last year.

   D. The road to Kericho market has been tarmacked by the county government last year.

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   2 marks

   Rewrite each of the following sentences in the passive voice.

   (i) The county government has banned single-use plastic bags in all its markets.

   (ii) Farmers in Kirinyaga harvest the rice in January.

   (2 marks)

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8. Question 8

   4 marks

   For each of the sentences below, state whether it is in the active or the passive voice and give a reason for your answer.

   (i) The seedlings were watered every evening during the dry spell.

   (ii) Volunteers cleared the riverbank of plastic waste on Saturday.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark for each correct identification and 1 mark for each acceptable reason. (i) Passive (1 mark). Reason: the subject 'the seedlings' receives the action; the verb is formed with 'were' plus the past participle 'watered', and the doer is not stated (1 mark). (ii) Active (1 mark). Reason: the subject 'volunteers' performs the action and the verb 'cleared' acts directly on the object 'the riverbank' (1 mark). No reason mark where the learner only says 'it sounds passive' or merely repeats the sentence.

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