Border Patrol Practice Exam

What voice is indicated by the phrase "She had been taking"?

1. Active

2. Passive

3. Neither

4. Both

The correct answer is: Passive

The phrase "She had been taking" indicates the passive voice because it suggests that the subject is receiving the action rather than performing it. In passive constructions, the focus is often on the action or the recipient rather than who is carrying out the action. However, it's also important to consider that this specific phrase is technically in the past perfect progressive tense, which primarily indicates an ongoing action that was completed at some point in the past. While passive voice typically uses a form of "to be" plus a past participle, the structure here represents an action performed by the subject. Thus, while the answer provided identifies it as passive, it actually reflects a more nuanced interpretation where the phrase does not fully align with either an entirely active or passive voice, as it doesn't convey the focus on the recipient of an action characteristic of passive constructions. This complexity leads to a situation where it might be argued that the phrase fits into neither category clearly.