PASSIVE VOICE
1. Rewrite the following sentences in the passive, omitting the words given in brackets. If there
is a number at the end of the sentence, it means you have to use more than one sentence :
1. ( Everybody) knows this fact very well .THIS FACT IS VERY WELL KNOWN
2. ( They ) opened the cinema two weeks ago.THE CINEMA WAS OPENED TWO WEEKS AGO
3. ( People ) will forget it.IT WILL BE FORGOTTEN
4. ( You ) must write the answers in red ink.THE ANSWER MUST BE WRITTEN IN RED INK
5. ( Someone ) has taken two of my magazines.TWO OF MY MAGAZINES HAS BEEN TAKEN
6. ( You ) have already finished the exercise?HAS THIS EXERCISE BEEN FINISHED?
7. What should ( one ) do in such cases?WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN SUCH CASES?
8. Did ( anybody ) say anything interesting? WAS ANYTHING INTERESTING SAID?
9. Does ( someone ) clean this toilet regularly?IS THIS TOILET CELANED REGULARLY?
10. ( One ) should sow new lawns at the beginning of September .NEW LAWNS SHOULD BE SOWN AT ..
11. I don´t think ( anyone ) can do it. I THINK IT CANNOT BE DONE
12. ( They ) would have sent him to prison if ( they) had found him guilty. (2)HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT TO PRISON IF HE HAD BEEN FOUND GUILTY
13. ( You) must finish the work by 8.00 THE WORK MUST BE FINISHED BY 8.00
14. Fortunately, ( no one ) had said anything about it.FORTUNATELY NOTHING HAD BEEN SAID ABOUT IT
15. ( We ) will execute all orders promptly.ALL ORDERS WILL BE EXECUTED PROMPTLY
16. ( The police ) have kept the man in custody.THE MAN HAS BEEN KEPT IN CUSTODY BY THE P.
17. ( The police ) arrested the escaped convict two days later.THE ESCAPED CONVICT WAS ARRESTED TWO DAYS LATER BY THE P.
2. Complete the sentences with a passive construction. You have to use a suitable form :
1. We have had to move into a hotel while our new house...... WAS BEIN DONE UP...... ( do up ).
2. The meanings of new words should .....BE LOOKED UP...... ( look up ) in a dictionary.
3. Richard often ...... IS TOLD OFF...... ( tell off ) for his mistakes.
4. The Government fear that negotiations could ...... BE BROKEN OFF...... ( break off ).
5. He felt he ...... HAD BEEN LET DOWN...... ( let down ) badly by his closest friend.
6. The search party had little idea where to start looking because the climber´s tracks...... WERE BLOWN UP...... (blow out) by a recent
snowstorm.
7. The new washing machines ...... WERE BEING TURNED OUT...... ( turn out ) at the rate of 85 a day.
3. Complete the sentences with a passive construction, using the verbs given and in the form
suggested in brackets. ADD a SUITABLE preposition as well :
1. Surplus grain ...... WAS SENT....TO.....( send ) ..... the striken area and ....DISTRIBUTED...... ( distribute ) ...... TO...... the starving population. ( past simple )
2. A meeting...... HAS BEEN ARRANGED...... ( arrange )...... AT...... the Commonwealth P. Ms. ( present perfect ).
3. A member of the Opposition pointed out that very few hospitals ...... HAVE BEEN BUILT...... ( build ).....AT...... the end of the war. ( past perfect )
4. He wanted nothing except ...... TO LEAVE IN ..( leave ) ...... peace . ( Infinitive )
5. These pills should ....BE KEPT OUT...... ( keep)...... of reach of children. ( infinitive )
6. America ....WAS DISCOVERED AT...... ( discover ) ...... the end of the 15th century. ( past simple )
7. The two cottages ...... HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO...... ( convert ) ...... one house. ( present perfect )
8. The new car ...... WIL BE EQUIPED WITH...... ( equip) ...... sophisticated safety belts. ( future )
9. The results of the exams .....WILL BE KNOWN BY.....( know ) ...... the end of the term. ( future)
10. This case ...... IS THIS CASE BEING INVESTIGATED BY...... ( investigate ) ...... a member of the Labour Party? ( present cont)
11. The lights must.....BE SWITCH OFF AT...... ( switch off) ...... 11.00 . ( infinitive ).
4. Complete the sentences with a passive construction, using the verb given in the form suggested:
1. Much of London ...... WAS DISTROYED...... ( destroy ) by fire in the 17th century. ( Past simple )
2. The man who ...... HAD BEEN BITTEN...... ( bite ) by a poisonous snake was given a serum . ( past perfect )
3. A leader should be a man who can BE RESPECTED( respect ) .( / infinitive )
4. The police ...... HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED...... ( instruct ) to take firm action against hooligans. ( present perfect )
5. A great deal of research...... HAS BEEN DONE...... ( do ) into the possible causes of cancer. ( present perfect )
6. The worker claimed that he ...... WAS BEING VICTIMIZED...... ( victimize) by his employers . ( past continuous)
7. It ...... HAD BEEN THOUGHT...... ( think ) the Government would do something. ( past perfect )
8. 500 new houses ...... WILL HAVE BEING BUILT...... ( build) by the end of next year. ( future perfect )
9. Because of a strike, work on the building had to ...... BE DISCONTINUED...... ( discontinue ) .( / infinitive )
10. The witness strongly objected to ...... BEING CROSS-EXAMINED...... ( cross-examine ). ( gerund )
11. The passengers ought ...... BE INFORMED...... ( inform ) that the train ...... HAS BEEN WITHDRAW...... ( withdraw ) from service. (perfect infinitive ) ( past perfect ) .
12. Customers ...... ARE ASKED...... ( ask ) to ensure that they ...... HAVE BEEN GIVEN...... ( give ) the correct change before leaving the shop, as mistakes cannot afterwards .BE TECTIFIED...... ( rectify ). ( present simple)
( present perfect) (/ infinitive ).
13. Was he very upset at .....NOT BEING OFFERED ...... ( not offer ) the job? ( gerund).
14. The man was sent to prison, ...... HAS BEEN FOUND...... ( find ) guilty of fraud. ( perfect participle)
5. Answer the questions using a passive form of the verbs in brackets together with a suitable
adverbial particle. Sometimes an active construction is also usual :
Example : What must be done with a bad tooth? ( pull)
It must be pulled out / the dentist must pull it out.
1. What might happen if you crossed a road without looking?. ( knock)
1. YOU CAN BE KNOCK DOWN BY A CAR
2. What would happen to a lighted candle if there was a strong sudden wind? ( blow)
2.IT CAN BE BLOWN OUT
3. What may happen to a person who has committed his first offence? (let )
3.HE/SHE MAY BE LET OFF
4. What happens to traffic in a traffic jam? (hold)
4.IT CAN BE HELD OUT
5. What must be done if a plan proves unworkable? ( give )
5.IT CAN BE GIVEN UP
6. A notice has disappeared from a noticeboard. What must have happened? ( take )
6.SOMEONE MUST HAVE TAKEN IT AWAY
7. I dropped a $10 note in the street and I can´t find it anywhere. What could have happened? (pick).
7.SOMEONE MUST HAVE PICKED UP
8. Nobody can attend the meeting. What could be done to sove the problem?. ( put)
8.WE MUST PUT IT OFF
6. Rewrite these sentences in the passive. Don´t forget to write down the prepositions given.
(don´t use agent)
1. They gave up the search after three hours.THE SEARCH WAS GIVEN UP AFTER THREE HOURS
2. Nobody brought up that question at the council meeting.THAT QUESTION WAS NOT BROUGHT UP AR THE COUNCIL MEETING
3. It was clear that the mother had brought up the child very well.IT WAS CLEAR THA THE CHILDREN HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP VERY WELL
4. We had to put off our visit.OUR VISIT HAD TO BE PUT OFF
5. Don´t speak until someone speaks to you...UNTIL YOU ARE SPOKEN TO
6. They are putting up many new buildings in Berlin.MANY NEW BUILDINGS AR BEING PUT UP IN BERLIN
7. He hates people making fun of him. (passive gerund)HE HATES TO BEING MADE FUN OF
8. Someone hasn´t stuck this stamp on very firmly.THIS STAMP HASN'T BEEN STRUCK ON VERY FIRMLY
9. An official held us up at the Customs for half a day.WE WERE HELD UP AT THE CUSTOMS FOR H A d.
10. I didn´t know somebody had broken into your house.....THAT YOUR HOUSE HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO
11. His bank manager turned down his request for a loan.HIS REQUESTO FOR A LOAN WAS TURNED DOWN
7. Rewrite the sentences in the passive, making the words underlined the subject of the new
sentence:
1. Someone showed the child how to use the new computer.THE CHILD WAS SHOWED HOW TO...
2. They declared him “ persona non grata”.HE WAS DECLARED “ PERSONA NON GRATA”
3. They gave her artificial respiration.HE WAS GIVEN ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION
4. Why didn´t they offer you the job?WHY WERENT YOU OFFERED THE JOB?
5. Someone left the girl a legacy of $ 35.000.THE GIRL WAS LEFT A LEGACY....
6. When he looked at the stamps, he found they had sold him forgeries.....HE FOUND HE HAD BEEN SOLD FORGERIES
7. How much did they pay you for the job?HOW MUCH WERE YOU PAID FOR THE JOB?
8. We´ll send you the goods as soon as possible.THE GOOD WILL BE SENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
9. Somebody must teach that naughty boy a lesson.THAT NAUGHTY BOY MUST BE TAUGHT A LESSON
10. Will somebody send Susan the details? WILL THE DETAILS BE SENT TO SUSAN?
8. Answer the following questions using a passive construction in your answers :
1. What opportunity would you like to be offered? I ´D LIKE TO BE OFFERED ….
2. What is given to people at Christmas? PEOPLE ARE GIVEN PRESENTS AT CHRISTMAS
3. What must be shown before entering a foreign country? YOUR PASSPORT MUST BE SHOWN
4. What is a patient given before an operation? ANAESTESIA IS GIVEN TO PATIENTS BEFORE....
5. How much is a shop assistant paid in your country?A SHOP ASSISTANT IS PAID X € IN MY COUNTRY
6. What might a close friend be left in a friend´s last will?and a close relative? HE MIGHT BE LEFT...
7. What foreign languages are you taught at school?WE ARE THAUGHT ENGLISH AND FRENCH
8. What can you be given if you are hysterical? YOU CAN BE GIVEN A PILL
9. If you wrote to a travel´s agency for some information, what would you probably be sent? YOU WOULD PROBABLY SENT BE A MAGAZINE
10. What would you most resent being told?I WOULD PROBABLY BE RESENT BEING TOLD I AM BALD
9. Transform these sentences ( subject – verb) into a noun clause object : they say .....it is said.
1. They say that he knows a lot of important people.HE IS SAID TO KNOW MANY PEOPLE
2. People felt that the social workers were doing hard work.IT IS SAID SOCIAL WORKERS WERE ..
3. Everyone thought the Government would increase taxes.IT WAS THOUGH THE GOV...
4. People believe that there is life in other planets.IT IS BELIEVED THAT THERE IS LIFE...
5. Everyone expects inflation will increase in South America in the following years.IT IS EXPECTED THAT INFLATION...
10. Now transform these sentences making the subject of the noun clause the subject of the
whole sentence - infinitive :
Example : It is said HE knows everything . HE is said to know everything.
1. It is said he is a honest man.HE IS SAID TO BE A HONEST MAN
2. It is considered this surgeon is a brilliant doctor.THIS SURGEON IS CONSIDERED TO BE A ...
3. It was proved his statements were false.HIS STATEMENTS WERE PROVED TO BE FALSE
4. It was understood Mr Smith was willing to meet the Queen.MR SMITH WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE WILLING TO MEET THE QUEEN
5. It is reported oil price will raise in two months.OIL PRICE IS REPORTED TO RAISE IN TWO MONTHS
6. It was claimed the drug didn´t produce side-effects.THE DRUG WAS CLAIMED NOT TO PRODUCE SIDE EFFECTS
7. It is said the police caught the gang in just 30 minutes.THE GANG IS SAID TO BE CAUGHT ...
8. It is presumed the radio burnt up during the explosion.THE RADIO IS PRESUMED TO BE BURNT UP..
9. It was alleged the General had sold secret information to the enemies.THE GENERAL WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE SOLD SECRET....
11. Rewrite in the active the following sentences :
1. Don´t let yourself be depressed by your failure.DONT LET YOUR FAILURES DEPRESS YOU
2. The house had been broken into during the night.SOMEONE HAD BROKEN INTO THE HOUSE DURING..
3. 20.000 pounds were stolen at the National Bank.SOMEONE STOLE 20000 POUNDS AT....
4. The car thief was arrested after being chased for three hours.THE ARRESTED THE CAR THIEF AFTER THEY HAD BEEN CHASED HIM FOR THREE HOURS
5. He was sent a big amount of money.SOMEONE SENT HIM A LOT OF MONEY
6. Almodovar´s latest film was seen by thousands of New Yorkers. THOUSANDS OF NEW YORKERS SAW ….
7. I was given a wrist gold watch in my last anniversary.THEY GAVE ME A ….
8. The baby wasn´t well looked after during my trip.THEY DIDN'T LOOK AFTER WELL THE BABY...
9. Photographic films must be kept away from light.YOU MUST KEEP PHOTO FILMS AWAY FROM THE LIGHT
10. He is said to behave like a a child.PEOPLE SAY THAT HE BEHAVES LIKE A CHILD