Passive Voice in Past Tense German Exercises

Hello dear student, today we’ll be focusing on an important aspect of German grammar – the passive voice in the simple past tense.

It is used to show that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon, rather than doing the acting. It’s frequently used in German, especially in formal, written, and academic contexts.

In this lesson, we’ll practice ordering sentences correctly, translating sentences, practicing vocabulary, and writing small texts, all while using the passive voice in simple past tense. Ready? Let’s dive in!

 

 

1) Put the Sentences in the Correct Order – German Passive Voice in Simple Past

 

a) gebaut / wurde / Das Haus / von / meinem Vater

Das Haus wurde von meinem Vater gebaut.

 

b) das / wurde / gestohlen / Fahrrad

 

c) von / der Polizei / wurde / gefunden / Der Dieb

 

d) wurde / der / Bibliothek / das / Buch / gelesen / in

 

e) von / meiner Mutter / Essen / gekocht / wurde / das

 

f) wurde / die / Tür / geöffnet

 

g) wurde / das / Fenster / geschlossen

 

h) Vertrag / wurde / unterschrieben / der

 

2) Can you Translate these Sentences?

 

a) The letter was written by Mary.

Der Brief wurde von Mary geschrieben.

 

b) The house was built in 1920.

 

c) The cat was fed by John.

 

d) The cake was eaten by the children.

 

e) The ball was kicked by the boy.

 

f) The flowers were watered by the gardener.

 

g) The window was closed by my sister.

 

h) The test was passed by all students.

 

i) The book was read by the teacher.

 

j) The cookies were baked by Grandma.

 

k) The car was repaired by the mechanic.

 

l) The photo was taken by the photographer.

 

m) The dog was walked by Sarah.

 

3) Practice your Vocabulary of German Passive Voice in Simple Past

 

a) was built – was written – was opened

wurde gebaut – wurde geschrieben – wurde geöffnet

 

b) was cooked - was bought - was found

 

c) was driven - was read - was seen

 

d) was heard - was sold - was told

 

e) was done - was drunk - was eaten

 

f) was repaired - was baked - was walked

 

g) was taken - was played - was watched

 

h) was sent - was received - was answered

 

4) Practice Your Writing by Translating this Small Text Taking the German Passive Voice in Simple Past into Consideration

 

The room was cleaned by the maid. The meal was cooked by the chef. The guests were served by the waiters. The bill was paid by the customer.

 

The football game was watched by the crowd. The song was played by the band. The award was received by the actress. The party was enjoyed by everyone.

 

Through these exercises, you’ve practiced and strengthened your understanding of the passive voice in the simple past tense.

Remember, understanding and using the passive voice correctly will greatly enhance your German language skills, particularly in formal and academic situations. Keep practicing with exercises here on our website, and soon you’ll master the use of passive voice in the simple past tense. Keep up the good work, and see you in our next lesson!

 

Practice Passive Voice Present Tense➚

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Practice Superlative Adjectives➚