Modal Passives Exercises

Modal passives combine a modal verb with the passive voice to focus on the action rather than who does it. The structure is simple: modal + "be" + past participle. For example, "This form must be completed before Friday" focuses on the form and the deadline, not on who fills it in. Modal passives are very common in formal, professional, and academic English: "Payments can be made online," "The results should be checked carefully," and "This document may be shared with colleagues."

Each modal keeps its original meaning in the passive: can be done (ability or possibility), must be done (obligation), should be done (advice or recommendation), may be done (permission or possibility), and might be done (lower possibility). The negative adds "not" after the modal: "This information must not be shared" (prohibition), "The report cannot be changed after submission" (impossibility). For questions, the modal comes first: "Can this be repaired?" Modal passives are essential for workplace English — emails, reports, and instructions regularly use them. They appear frequently in Cambridge B2 First and IELTS Writing Task 1, making them an important structure for exam preparation.