5 exercises — passive structures for system docs, API references, status messages, and change logs.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Choose the correct passive form: "The API gateway _____ all incoming requests before they reach the service."
Present simple passive "is routed" describes a permanent system behaviour where the focus is on what happens to requests (the agent — the gateway — is already stated, so passive works here). In API documentation, the passive voice is preferred when describing what happens to data or requests.
2 / 20
Which sentence correctly describes a completed system change?
Past simple passive "was updated" is correct for a completed action at a specific past time ("last night"). The present simple passive would describe an ongoing process; the present perfect would omit the specific time reference.
3 / 20
Complete the status message for a CI/CD pipeline: "Build #142 _____ successfully. All 847 tests _____."
Present perfect passive "has been completed / have been run" is ideal for status messages that report recent completed actions with present relevance. This tense is commonly used in CI/CD dashboards, deployment notifications, and build reports.
4 / 20
An engineer is writing release notes. Choose the best passive sentence:
"Has been deprecated" (present perfect passive) is the standard phrasing in release notes and API changelogs. It reports a recent change with ongoing consequences (developers must migrate). Professional API documentation uses this pattern consistently: "X has been deprecated / removed / renamed."
5 / 20
Choose the passive form that correctly describes a scheduled automated process: "Backups _____ every night at 02:00 UTC and _____ to the object storage bucket."
Both verbs need present simple passive ("are run / are transferred") because this describes a recurring automated process. When documenting scheduled tasks, cron jobs, or automated pipelines, present simple passive is used for both the trigger action and subsequent steps in the same process chain.
6 / 20
During a code review of the authentication service, Sarah noticed: 'The token validation logic was implemented using JWT.' What is the best way to phrase this for clarity in the comment?
'Was implemented' is the passive voice, correctly indicating that the action happened without specifying who performed it. Options A and B are equally correct and natural in this context. Option C uses present perfect, which isn't suitable here as it suggests an ongoing process, and option D is awkward phrasing.
7 / 20
In a Slack channel for the DevOps team, David reported: 'The database migration script had been executed by the automation system.' What's the most professional and concise way to communicate this in Slack?
Using the passive voice ('had been executed') emphasizes the action performed *by* the system, which is standard in technical documentation and avoids assigning blame. Option A simply states what happened without context. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly, and option D is informal.
8 / 20
You're drafting a PR description for a new feature that automatically scales the application based on load. The description reads: 'The scaling policy is triggered when CPU utilization exceeds 90%.' Which of the following revisions improves this sentence?
While all options are grammatically correct, option 3 is the most concise and clearly indicates the cause-and-effect relationship. The passive voice here focuses on *what* happens (the policy triggering) rather than *who* does it. Options A and B are unnecessarily wordy, and option D is slightly less direct.
9 / 20
During a standup meeting, Maria stated: 'The nightly build process is generating reports every morning.' What's the most appropriate way to convey this information in a technical context?
Again, using the passive voice ('generates') is preferable because it highlights the action performed by the build process without specifying who or what initiated it. Options A and B are equally correct but slightly less concise. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly.
10 / 20
In a technical document describing the monitoring system, the following sentence is used: 'Data ingestion from Kafka is monitored using Prometheus.' What does this sentence primarily communicate?
This sentence clearly states that Prometheus performs the monitoring function. The passive voice emphasizes the *action* of monitoring and who (or what) is doing it – in this case, Prometheus. Options B, C, and D all rephrase the same meaning but less efficiently use the passive voice.
11 / 20
During a code review of the authentication service, Sarah noticed: 'The token validation logic was implemented using JWT.' What is the best way to phrase this for clarity in the comment?
'Was implemented' is the passive voice, correctly indicating that the action happened without specifying who performed it. Options A and B are equally correct and natural in this context. Option C uses present perfect, which isn't suitable here as it suggests an ongoing process, and option D is awkward phrasing.
12 / 20
In a Slack channel for the DevOps team, David reported: 'The database migration script had been executed by the automation system.' What's the most professional and concise way to communicate this in Slack?
Using the passive voice ('had been executed') emphasizes the action performed *by* the system, which is standard in technical documentation and avoids assigning blame. Option A simply states what happened without context. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly, and option D is informal.
13 / 20
You're drafting a PR description for a new feature that automatically scales the application based on load. The description reads: 'The scaling policy is triggered when CPU utilization exceeds 90%.' Which of the following revisions improves this sentence?
While all options are grammatically correct, option 3 is the most concise and clearly indicates the cause-and-effect relationship. The passive voice here focuses on *what* happens (the policy triggering) rather than *who* does it. Options A and B are unnecessarily wordy, and option D is slightly less direct.
14 / 20
During a standup meeting, Maria stated: 'The nightly build process is generating reports every morning.' What's the most appropriate way to convey this information in a technical context?
Again, using the passive voice ('generates') is preferable because it highlights the action performed by the build process without specifying who or what initiated it. Options A and B are equally correct but slightly less concise. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly.
15 / 20
In a technical document describing the monitoring system, the following sentence is used: 'Data ingestion from Kafka is monitored using Prometheus.' What does this sentence primarily communicate?
This sentence clearly states that Prometheus performs the monitoring function. The passive voice emphasizes the *action* of monitoring and who (or what) is doing it – in this case, Prometheus. Options B, C, and D all rephrase the same meaning but less efficiently use the passive voice.
16 / 20
During a code review of the authentication service, Sarah noticed: 'The token validation logic was implemented using JWT.' What is the best way to phrase this for clarity in the comment?
'Was implemented' is the passive voice, correctly indicating that the action happened without specifying who performed it. Options A and B are equally correct and natural in this context. Option C uses present perfect, which isn't suitable here as it suggests an ongoing process, and option D is awkward phrasing.
17 / 20
In a Slack channel for the DevOps team, David reported: 'The database migration script had been executed by the automation system.' What's the most professional and concise way to communicate this in Slack?
Using the passive voice ('had been executed') emphasizes the action performed *by* the system, which is standard in technical documentation and avoids assigning blame. Option A simply states what happened without context. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly, and option D is informal.
18 / 20
You're drafting a PR description for a new feature that automatically scales the application based on load. The description reads: 'The scaling policy is triggered when CPU utilization exceeds 90%.' Which of the following revisions improves this sentence?
While all options are grammatically correct, option 3 is the most concise and clearly indicates the cause-and-effect relationship. The passive voice here focuses on *what* happens (the policy triggering) rather than *who* does it. Options A and B are unnecessarily wordy, and option D is slightly less direct.
19 / 20
During a standup meeting, Maria stated: 'The nightly build process is generating reports every morning.' What's the most appropriate way to convey this information in a technical context?
Again, using the passive voice ('generates') is preferable because it highlights the action performed by the build process without specifying who or what initiated it. Options A and B are equally correct but slightly less concise. Option C uses present perfect incorrectly.
20 / 20
In a technical document describing the monitoring system, the following sentence is used: 'Data ingestion from Kafka is monitored using Prometheus.' What does this sentence primarily communicate?
This sentence clearly states that Prometheus performs the monitoring function. The passive voice emphasizes the *action* of monitoring and who (or what) is doing it – in this case, Prometheus. Options B, C, and D all rephrase the same meaning but less efficiently use the passive voice.
What will I practise in "Passive Voice in Technical English — Grammar Exercise"?
Practice passive voice structures used in IT documentation, API specs, and system descriptions.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
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Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.