Questions in the Passive
Mosaics and stained glass windows
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Questions in the passive
Master asking questions about art, mosaics, and stained glass windows.
📋 How to use this lesson
👩🏫 For the Teacher (12 mins)
Guide learners through the 4 grammar rules below, pointing out word order and verb forms. Have students complete the 12 self-graded practice items to reinforce passive question formation.
🎒 For the Learner
Read the 4 simple rule cards to see how question words and verbs move in passive sentences. Complete the 12 practice exercises below to check your understanding and get instant feedback.
Target Sentence Pattern
"Where was the window made, and when was it fixed?"
📖 Grammar Rules
Information Questions (Wh- words)
To ask for information, put the question word first. Then add is, are, was or were before the subject and the action verb (past participle) after it.
Why was the church closed in the winter?
When was the window made?
Yes or No Questions
For a yes or no question, start with is, are, was or were. Put the subject next and then the action verb; never use do, does or did.
Were the old windows cleaned last year?
Were the stones cut by hand?
Subject Questions (Who / What / Which)
When who, what or which asks about the subject, keep the normal word order. Put is, are, was or were right after the question word, followed by the action verb.
Which pieces were stolen from the museum?
What was damaged?
Singular/Plural Agreement & Maker (by)
Use is or was for one thing, and are or were for more than one thing. Add by at the end only when asking about the maker or artist.
Who was the old floor designed by?
Who was the picture painted by?
✅ Correct Form
- When was the window made?
- Were the stones cut by hand?
- Who was the picture painted by?
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- When the window was made? (Wrong word order)
- Did the stones cut by hand? (Extra 'did')
- Was the stones cut by hand? (Singular/Plural clash)
✏️ Practice Exercises (12 Items)
Complete all tasks below. Each item contains a 1-word hint in brackets.
Part 1: Choose the correct sentence
1. You want to ask about the creation date of a famous stone mosaic artwork. (time)
2. Ask if someone polishes the glass pane every morning. (action)
3. Ask if the small glass cubes were shaped using a special tool in the past. (tool)
Part 2: Rewrite active questions into passive questions
4. Active sentence: "Who painted the angel?" (maker)
Complete the passive question starting with Who:
5. Active sentence: "Where do they keep the ancient ornament?" (place)
Complete the passive question starting with Where:
6. Active sentence: "What did the storm shatter in the chapel?" (object)
Complete the passive question starting with What:
Part 3: Fill in the missing verb
7. Complete the past yes/no question about an artwork restore project. (status)
8. Complete the question asking for the reason behind broken window elements. (reason)
9. Complete the present simple question about item count and location. (number)
Part 4: Correct errors in messages to a friend
💬 Message from Alex
"Hi! Did the mosaic restored by the artist?"
Correct Alex's message by rewriting the full passive question: (artist)
____💬 Message from Sam
"Hey, when the pane was replaced in the chapel?"
Correct Sam's word order by writing the full question: (time)
____💬 Message from Taylor
"Look! Which cubes were they selected for the pattern?"
Remove the extra pronoun and write the corrected question: (choice)
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