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#causative
#passive-voice
Passive Causative in Technical English
5 exercises — practise have/get + object + past participle for outsourced and automated technical work.
0 / 40 completed
1 / 40
Which sentence correctly uses the passive causative to describe outsourcing a security check?
"Had the codebase audited" follows the passive causative pattern: have + object + past participle, meaning "we arranged for someone else to audit the codebase" — the emphasis is on the arrangement, not on who performed the action (though "by an external security firm" can still be added). Option A uses the base form "audit" instead of the past participle "audited", which is ungrammatical in this structure. Option C uses the "-ing" form, which would express something different (and is not the causative pattern). Option B ("had audited the codebase") is simply the past perfect active/passive tense, meaning "we ourselves had already audited it" — it does not express the causative meaning of arranging for someone else to do it.
2 / 40
A team lead says: "I need to _____ before the release." Choose the correct passive causative for having the SSL certificate renewed by IT.
"Get the SSL certificate renewed" follows the "get" causative pattern (an informal variant of "have"): get + object + past participle. Option B uses the base form "renew" instead of the past participle, which is ungrammatical. Option C reverses the required word order — the object must come before the past participle in this structure, not after. Option D incorrectly inserts "to" before "renew"; the passive causative never uses a to-infinitive after the object, only a past participle. Note that "get" causatives often imply more personal effort or urgency than "have" causatives, making "get" a natural choice here given the release deadline.
3 / 40
Which sentence correctly distinguishes the passive causative from a simple passive voice construction, describing a scheduled task?
"We have the database backed up automatically every night" is the correct passive causative, emphasizing that the team has arranged/configured this automatic process to occur, rather than performing it manually. Option A is a simple passive sentence stating a fact about the database without expressing who arranged it or that it is a deliberate causative setup — grammatically correct, but it does not use the causative structure the question asks for. Option C incorrectly uses "has backed up" (active present perfect) with "the database" as subject, which would mean the database itself performed the backing up, which is nonsensical since databases do not perform actions on themselves. Option D uses the noun "backup" instead of the past participle "backed up", which is ungrammatical in this verb slot.
4 / 40
Choose the sentence that correctly uses a negative passive causative to describe an unfinished arrangement.
"Haven't had the load balancer reconfigured yet" correctly negates the passive causative in the present perfect: haven't (negative auxiliary) + had (causative verb, base form after "have/has/haven't") + object + past participle. Option A uses the base form "reconfigure" instead of "reconfigured", which breaks the required past-participle pattern. Option C mixes "didn't have" (correct negative causative in past simple) with "-ing" ("reconfiguring") and "yet" (which typically pairs with present perfect, not past simple), creating an inconsistent tense combination. Option B scrambles the word order, incorrectly duplicating "had" in the wrong position.
5 / 40
Which question correctly uses the passive causative to ask about arranging a code migration?
"Did you have the legacy module migrated" is correct: "did" (past-tense question auxiliary) + subject + "have" (base form, since "did" already carries the tense) + object + past participle ("migrated"). Option A uses the base form "migrate" instead of the past participle. Option B omits the required "did" auxiliary, producing an ungrammatical question structure (it would need to be "Have you had..." to work as a present perfect question). Option C incorrectly uses "had" instead of the base form "have" after "did" — once "did" establishes the past tense, the following verb must revert to its base form, so "had" is a doubled and incorrect past marker.
6 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
7 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
8 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
9 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
10 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
11 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
12 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
13 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
14 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
15 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
16 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
17 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
18 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
19 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
20 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
21 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
22 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
23 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
24 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
25 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
26 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
27 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
28 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
29 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
30 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
31 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
32 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
33 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
34 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
35 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
36 / 40
During code review, Sarah says to David: "I need the database team to validate the schema changes before we merge. It's crucial to avoid data corruption.". Which phrasing best demonstrates Sarah using the passive causative?
Sarah's use of 'validate' here isn't a direct instruction but rather a request *for* the database team to perform the action. The passive causative emphasizes that she's having them do something for her, not just stating an intention. Option A is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence as a simple request. Options C and D incorrectly frame the verb usage.
37 / 40
As a Senior Developer, Mark needs to ensure a critical API endpoint is monitored. He asks his junior colleague, Liam: "I need you to set up monitoring for the new service.". What does this sentence primarily convey?
The passive causative 'set up' indicates that Mark is requesting Liam to *establish* the monitoring. It's not a direct order; it's about having Liam take responsibility for configuring the monitoring system. Options A and B misinterpret the sentence as confirming an action or giving a command respectively. Options C and D introduce irrelevant concepts.
38 / 40
In a Slack channel for the deployment team, Alex writes: "We need to get this build deployed to staging ASAP! The stakeholders are waiting.". What is the primary function of this sentence in conveying urgency?
The passive causative 'get' emphasizes Alex's desire for the action to be performed by someone else – in this case, the deployment team. It's a way of requesting that they prioritize and expedite the build deployment due to external pressure. Options A and C are too simplistic; options B and D introduce inappropriate levels of control or instruction.
39 / 40
During a standup meeting, Emily says: "I need to arrange a meeting with the QA team to discuss the testing results.". What is the intended meaning of this statement?
Using 'arrange' in this context highlights that Emily wants someone – likely another team member or herself – to *take action* and schedule the meeting with QA. The passive causative focuses on the process of getting the meeting organized. Options A and C misrepresent her intention; option D introduces an unrelated concept.
40 / 40
In a pull request description, David writes: "We need to ensure the new authentication flow integrates seamlessly with the existing system.". What is the core purpose of this sentence in the context of code review?
The passive causative 'ensure' here isn't about directly instructing someone. Instead, it signifies David's desire that a verification process *will happen* to confirm that the integration functions correctly. The sentence conveys an expectation of a check being performed – similar to what a code reviewer would do. Options A and D are incorrect because they misrepresent David's role; option B is irrelevant.
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What will I practise in "Passive Causative in Technical English — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise 'have/get something done' structures for describing arranged, outsourced, or automated technical work in reports and standups.
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