Passive Voice in Present Tense German Exercises

Dear student, we will now move on to a very important aspect of the German language: the passive voice in the present tense. The passive voice is frequently used in both spoken and written German.

In contrast to the active voice, where the subject of the sentence is the one performing the action, in the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action. This can be useful in many situations, especially when the actor is not known or not important.

The exercises below will help you practice constructing sentences in the passive voice, translating sentences from English to German, expanding your vocabulary, and applying these concepts in a short text. Remember, practice makes perfect, so let’s get started!

 

 

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

 

a) wird / das / gesungen / Lied / von / ihr

Das Lied wird von ihr gesungen.

 

b) geöffnet / Fenster / das / wird / von / ihm

 

c) wird / der / von / den / Kindern / gepflegt / Garten

 

d) die / werden / Türen / geschlossen / von / dem / Wächter

 

e) das / Essen / von / ihr / gekocht / wird

 

f) wird / das / Zimmer / gereinigt / von / dem / Zimmermädchen

 

g) von / die / wird / Rechnung / ihm / bezahlt

 

h) wird / der / geschrieben / Brief / von / ihr

 

i) wird / von / das / der / Lehrerin / korrigiert / Examen

 

j) die / verkauft / Tickets / vom / Verkäufer / werden

 

k) wird / ihm / das / Auto / repariert / von

 

2) Can you Translate these Sentences?

 

a) The book is read by him.

Das Buch wird von ihm gelesen.

 

b) The game is played by the children.

 

c) The food is cooked by the chef.

 

d) The house is cleaned by her.

 

e) The tree is planted by the gardener.

 

f) The room is painted by him.

 

g) The homework is done by the students.

 

h) The car is driven by her.

 

i) The letter is sent by the postman.

 

j) The clothes are washed by him.

 

k) The tickets are sold by the vendor.

 

3) Practice your Vocabulary of German Passive Voice

 

a) To be read – To be played – To be cooked

Gelesen werden – Gespielt werden – Gekocht werden

 

b) To be cleaned - To be planted - To be painted

 

c) To be done - To be driven - To be sent

 

d) To be washed - To be sold - To be repaired

 

e) To be opened - To be closed - To be written

 

f) To be taken - To be given - To be seen

 

g) To be listened to - To be spoken to - To be looked at

 

h) To be taught - To be learned - To be understood

 

i) To be paid - To be bought - To be sold

 

j) To be loved - To be hated - To be admired

 

k) To be praised - To be criticized - To be ignored

 

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

 

The flowers are watered by the gardener. The lessons are taught by the teacher. The report is written by the journalist. The laws are made by the government.

 

Well done! By completing these exercises, you have taken a major step in mastering the German passive voice in the present tense.

Remember, the key to learning a language is practice. Don’t be discouraged if you made mistakes – it’s part of the learning process.

Keep practicing these structures and soon they will become second nature to you. In the next lessons, we’ll continue expanding your knowledge of the German language. I’m proud of the progress you’re making. Keep up the good work!

 

Practice Comparative Adjectives➚

Practice Superlative Adjectives➚

Practice Adjective Declension➚