AP Spanish Passive Voice: Practice Test & Review
The passive voice in Spanish has two forms. The true passive uses ser + past participle + por to name the agent: La novela fue escrita por García Márquez. The passive se uses se + third-person verb with no agent: Se venden casas. The AP exam tests both in reading passages about history, science, and culture, and in the written free-response tasks, where a passive construction is often the cleanest way to report an event without naming who did it.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the contrast, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. Every question is built around a sentence feature that forces exactly one form: an explicit agent with por (ser + participle), no agent and a general statement (se + verb), or a subject that controls the agreement of the participle. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full grammar guide.
Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
This guide explains the two forms of the passive voice in Spanish. The quiz above drills the contrast. The guide is for review and reference.
The Rule
The passive voice in Spanish has two forms. The true passive uses ser + past participle + por to name the agent: La novela fue escrita por García Márquez. The passive se uses se + third-person verb with no agent: Se venden casas. The true passive focuses on the action and the agent. The passive se focuses on the action alone, often as a general statement or rule. In the true passive, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. The auxiliary ser is conjugated in the tense the sentence requires.
Ser + Past Participle + Por
| Subject | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Singular masculine | El libro fue publicado. | The book was published. |
| Singular feminine | La novela fue escrita por García Márquez. | The novel was written by García Márquez. |
| Plural masculine | Los edificios fueron construidos. | The buildings were built. |
| Plural feminine | Las canciones fueron compuestas. | The songs were composed. |
| Agent with por | La carta fue escrita por mi abuelo. | The letter was written by my grandfather. |
Passive Se: No Agent
| Function | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| General sale or availability | Se venden libros. | Books are sold. |
| General rule or prohibition | Se prohíbe fumar. | Smoking is prohibited. |
| General statement | Se habla español. | Spanish is spoken. |
| Impersonal se with human agent | Se construyeron muchas casas. | Many houses were built. |
| Impersonal se with a modal | Se puede entrar. | One can enter. |
Agreement of the Past Participle
| Subject Type | Participle Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | -o | El libro fue publicado. |
| Feminine singular | -a | La novela fue escrita. |
| Masculine plural | -os | Los edificios fueron construidos. |
| Feminine plural | -as | Las canciones fueron compuestas. |
Fixed Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Form |
|---|---|---|
| se dice que… | it is said that… | Impersonal se |
| se rumorea que… | it is rumored that… | Impersonal se |
| se sabe que… | it is known that… | Impersonal se |
| se trata de… | it is about… | Impersonal se |
| se vende / se venden | for sale | Passive se |
Common Mistakes
1. Participle not agreeing with the subject.
✗ Las casas fueron construido en 1990.
✓ Las casas fueron construidas en 1990.
The participle must agree in gender and number with the subject (casas: feminine plural).
2. Using the passive se with an explicit agent.
✗ Se escribió la novela por García Márquez.
✓ La novela fue escrita por García Márquez.
When the agent is named with por, use the true passive (ser + participle), not se.
3. Using the true passive without an agent when the sentence is a general statement.
✗ Fue prohibido fumar en este edificio. (for a general rule)
✓ Se prohíbe fumar en este edificio.
General rules and statements use the passive se, not ser + participle.
4. Wrong verb agreement in passive se.
✗ Se vende libros.
✓ Se venden libros.
In the passive se, the verb agrees with the noun that follows (libros: plural).
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is the agent named with por? | Yes | Ser + past participle + por |
| Is it a general statement with no agent? | Yes | Passive se |
| Is it a general rule or prohibition? | Yes | Passive se |
| Is it a sign of availability or sale? | Yes | Passive se |
| Does the sentence name a historical event and an agent? | Yes | Ser + past participle + por |
| Does the participle agree with the subject? | Always | Check gender and number |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
La novela fue escrita por García Márquez.
The novel was written by García Márquez.
The true passive names the agent with por. The participle escrita agrees with la novela (feminine singular).
Se venden novelas en esa librería.
Novels are sold in that bookstore.
The passive se gives a general statement with no agent. The verb venden agrees with novelas (plural).
