Present Perfect Passive — Exercises on has been sent
Practice the present perfect passive: has/have been + past participle for recent results and news, with since, already and yet.
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Good news — your order ___ and it should arrive tomorrow.
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has been sent
A recent action with a result now → present perfect passive: 'has been' + past participle. 'Has sent' would mean the order sent something.
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The meeting ___, so we don't need to come in tomorrow.
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has been cancelled
Someone cancelled the meeting, and the result matters now → 'has been cancelled'. 'Has cancelled' would mean the meeting cancelled something.
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Since the new manager arrived, a lot of changes ___.
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have been made
'Since' → present perfect. 'Changes' is plural, so 'have been made', not 'has'. 'Have made' would mean the changes made something.
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Sorry, the meeting room has already ___ for this afternoon.
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been booked
Someone booked the room → present perfect passive: 'has been booked'. 'Has already booked' would mean the room booked something.
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Look! The windows ___ — they're sparkling!
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have been cleaned
A result you can see now → present perfect passive. 'Windows' is plural → 'have been cleaned'. 'Have cleaned' would mean the windows did the cleaning.
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Since January, more than 300 new trees ___ in the park.
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have been planted
'Since January' → present perfect, not past simple. 'Trees' is plural → 'have been planted'. Trees don't plant anything, so 'have planted' is wrong.
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Checking on a flat renovation
Anna: Hi Tom, it's Anna. How's the work on my flat going?
Tom: Good progress! The kitchen walls {1} already, and the new cupboards {2} on the wall yesterday.
Anna: Great. What about the bathroom?
Tom: Not finished yet, I'm afraid. The new shower {3} next week, when the plumber is free.
Anna: OK. And the old fridge? I hope it {4} away yet — my neighbour wants it.
Tom: Don't worry, it's still here. Oh, and your parcel {5} this morning. It's in the hall.
Anna: Thanks! What happens to the keys when you finish today?
Tom: They {6} under the doormat, unless you want something different.
Anna: I'd rather not. Could they {7} to my neighbour at number 12 instead?Show answer
1. have been painted — A finished job with a result now ('already') → present perfect passive. The walls didn't paint anything, so not 'have painted'.
2. were fitted — 'Yesterday' is finished past time → past simple passive. 'Cupboards' is plural → 'were fitted'.
3. will be installed — 'Next week' → future. The plumber will install the shower → 'will be installed'.
4. hasn't been thrown — 'Yet' goes with present perfect. Anna hopes nobody has thrown the fridge away → 'hasn't been thrown away'.
5. arrived — 'Arrive' has no object, so it has no passive — 'was arrived' is never correct. Just 'arrived'.
6. will be left — Tom is talking about what will happen when the builders finish → 'will be left'. Someone leaves the keys; they don't leave by themselves.
7. be given — After a modal ('could'), use 'be' + past participle → 'could they be given'. Someone would give the keys to the neighbour.
The Present Perfect Passive: has / have been + Past Participle
The present perfect passive reports a past action whose result matters now: Your order has been sent, The meeting has been cancelled, More than 300 new trees have been planted since January. It is the standard form of announcements and news headlines in full sentences, where the point is what the situation is now. It follows the same time rules as the active present perfect: it combines with since, already, yet and recently, and never with a finished time like yesterday or in 2019. The new element is been, and dropping it is the most damaging error in the topic, because it does not just break the grammar — it reverses the meaning. The rooms have been cleaned means someone cleaned them; The rooms have cleaned says the rooms did the cleaning.