PASSIVE VOICE

Some characteristics:
1. The main formula is : be + past participle
2. The changes of tense are carried out by the ‘to be’
3. The object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb
4. The object in the active verb becomes the agent of the passive sentence
5. Only transitive verbs (verbs that are followed by an object) are used in the passive (the
active sentence can be changed into passive if there is an object in the sentence)
6. We don’t need to write the agent if the subjects in the active sentence are common,
unimportant, or unknown; for example: someone, people, etc

Pattern

S + to be + V3 + agent + O + adv

TENSES ACTIVE PASSIVE

Simple present Mary helps John John is helped by Mary

Present progressive Mary is helping John John is being helped by Mary
Present perfect Mary has helped John John has been helped by Mary
Simple past Mary helped John John was helped by Mary
Past progressive Mary was helping John John was being helped by Mary
Past perfect Mary had helped John John had been helped by Mary
Simple future Mary will help John John will be helped by Mary
Future perfect Mary will have helped John John will have been helped by Mary
Modals Mary can/may/must help John John can/may/must be helped by Mary

A. CHANGE THE SENTENCES INTO PASSSIVE

1. Shakespeare wrote that play

2. My sister’s plane will arrive at 10.35
3. Alex is preparing that report
4. Waitresses and waiters serve customers
5. The teacher is going to explain the lesson
6. Shirley has suggested a new idea
7. Kathy had returned the book to the library
8. When I got back to my hotel room, a man was making a bed
9. By this time tomorrow, the President will have made the announcement
10. The doctor will have treated the patient.
11. Peter came here two months ago
12. After the concert was over, hundreds of fans mobbed the rock music star outside the theater
13. Ever since I arrived here, I have been living in the dormitory because someone told me that it was cheaper to live there
than in an apartment.
14. When is someone going to announce the results of the contest?
15. Did the news surprise you?

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 B. USE ACTIVE OR PASSIVE, IN ANY APPROPRIATE TENSE FOR THE VERBS IN BRACKETS

1. It’s noon. The mail should be here soon. It (deliver, usually) ___________ sometime between noon and one o’clock
2. Only five of us (work) ________ in the laboratory yesterday when the explosion (occur) _____. Luckily, no one (hurt )
___________
3. I was supposed to take a test yesterday, but I (admit, not) ________ into the testing room because the examination (begin,
already) ________________
4. According to a recent survey, out of every dollar an American spends on food, thirty-six cents (spend) __________at
restaurants
5. I’m sorry I’m late. I (hold up) ___________ by the rush hour traffic. It (take) _________ thirty minutes for me to get here
instead of fifteen.
6. Before she graduated last May, Susan (offer, already) ___________ a position with a law firm
7. According to many scientists, solar energy (use) _______ extensively in the twenty- first century
8. I (study) _______ English here for the last two months. My English (get) _______ better, but still find it difficult to
understand lectures.
9. Right now a student trip to the planetarium (organize) _________ by Mrs. Hunt. You can sign up for it at her office
10. He is a man whose name will go down in history. He (forget, never) _______ by his countrymen.

11. When you (arrive) _________ at the airport tomorrow, you (meet) ______ by a friend of mine. He (wear) ______ a red shirt
and blue jeans. He (be) ________ fairly tall and (have) ______dark hair. He (stand) _______ near the main entrance. I’m
sure you will be able to find him.

12. A: Yesterday (be) ________a terrible day

B: What (happen) ______?
A: First, I (flunk) ___________ a test, or at least I think I did. Then I (drop) ____________ my books while I (walk)
________________ across campus and they (fall) ____________ into a mud puddle. And finally, my bicycle (steal)
_________
B: You should have stayed in bed.

C. CHANGE THESE SENTENCES INTO ACTIVE

1. The new highway will be completed sometimes next month.

...................................................................................................................................................................

2. His book is going to be published next year.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

3. A lost tribe was discovered in the Philippine rain forest.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

4. My sweater was made in England

........................................................................................................................................................

5. Beethoven’s Seventh symphony was performed by my brother at the concert last night.

.....................................................................................................................................................................

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 D. USE THE WORDS IN THE FOLLOWING LIST TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES.

Build frighten report

Cause invent spell
Confuse kill surprise
Divide offer surround
Expect order wear

1. The electric light bulb ________by Thomas Edison

2. An island _______by water
3. The –ing form of ‘sit’ _______ with a double t
4. Even though construction costs are high, a new dormitory _______next year
5. The class was too large, so it ______into two sections
6. A bracelet ________around the wrist
7. The Johnson’s house burned down. According to the inspector, the fire _________by lighting
8. Al got a ticket for reckless driving. When he went to traffic court, he _______to pay a fine of $100.
9. I read about a hunter who _____by a man-eating tiger
10. The hunter’s fatal accident _________in the newspaper yesterday
11. I didn’t expect Lisa to come to the meeting last night, but she was here. I ______________to see her there.
12. Last week I _______ a job at a local bank, but I didn’t accept
13. The children ____________ in the middle of the night when they heard strange noises in the house
14. Could you try to explain this math problem to me again? Yesterday in class I ______ by the teacher’s explanation
15. A: Is the plane going to be late?
B: No. It _______ to be on time.

E. SUPPLY THE PASSIVE FORM OF THE GIVEN VERB

1. It is hot in this room because the window (close) _______

2. Yesterday it was hot in this room because the window (close) _____

3. Sarah is wearing a blouse. It (make) _______of cotton

4. The door to this room (shut) ______

5. Jim is sitting quietly. His elbows (bend) __________ and his hands (fold) ________in front of him

6. We can leave now because class (finish) ________

7. The lights in this room (turn) _______

8. This room (crowd, not) ______

9. We can’t go any farther. The car (stick) _____ in the mud.

10. My room is very near neat right now. The bed (make) _______, the floor (sweep) ____, and the dishes (wash) _______

11. We are ready to sit down and eat dinner. The table (set) _______the meat and rice (do) ________, and the candles (light)

_____

12. Where’s my wallet? It (go) _______! Did you take it?

13. Hmmmmm. My dress (tear) ______. I wonder how that happened.

14. Don’t look in the hall closet. Your birthday present (hide) _______

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 F. USE THE APPROPRIATE FORM OF THE WORDS IN THE FOLLOWING LIST TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

Bear exhaust plug in

Block go qualify
Confuse insure schedule
Crowd locate spoil
Divorce lose stick
Do marry turn off

1. Excuse me, sir. Could you give some directions? I _____

2. Let’s find another restaurant. This one _______ too _______. We would have to wait at least an hour for a table
3. The meeting ____________ for tomorrow at nine
4. That’s hard work! I _______. I need to rest for a while.
5. You told me one thing and John told me another. I don’t know what to think. I ______
6. Louse is probably sleeping. The lights in her room _________
7. Mrs. Wentworth’s jewelry __________for $50,000
8. I can’t open the window. It _____
9. Carolyn and Joe were married to each other for five years, but now they _____
10. I thought I had left my book on this desk, but it isn’t here. It _______. I wonder where it is.
11. I’m sorry. You _______ not _______ for the job. We need someone with a degree in electrical engineering.
12. I love my wife. I _______ to a wonderful woman
13. We can’t eat this fruit. It ______. We’ll have to throw it away.
14. We’d better call a plumber. The water won’t go down the drain. The drain _____
15. Vietnam _______in Southeast Asia
16. A: The TV set doesn’t work.
B: Are you sure? ______ _______ it ______?
17. A: Is dinner ready?
B: Not yet. The potatoes _______ not _____. They need another ten minutes

G. CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER!

____ ‘Who will be the chairman of the class?’

‘…..by the pupils.’
A. which is selected
B. are selected
C. to be selected
D. the one elected
E. they who elected

____ She has picked up some flowers.

The passive form is……
A. Some flowers have been picked up by her
B. Some flowers has been picked up by her
C. She has been picked up
D. Some flowers are picked up by her
E. Some flowers were picked up by her

____ ‘We like Mrs. Stella very much. We…. English by her for three years.’
A. are teaching
B. are taught
C. have been taught
D. have been teaching
E. are taught

____ Tomorrow the house…..by my father.

A. will be sold
B. has been sold
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 C. is sold
D. was sold
E. would be sold

____ The victim had been taken to the hospital before the ambulance came. Means…..
It…….the ambulance that took the victim to the hospital.
A. was
B. was not
C. is
D. were not
E. had not been

____ The boys have been told the good news.

It means….
A. The good news was told to the boys
B. Somebody has told the boys the good news
C. The good news has been told by the boys
D. The boys have told the good news
E. The good news about the boys has been told

____ Everything…….before he went abroad.

A. was packed
B. had been packed
C. has been taken
D. should be packed
E. packed

____ The letter…..already

A. has been reading
B. was read
C. will be read
D. had been read
E. have been readed

____ Jane: ‘You’re not driving your car.’

John: ‘No, ………’
A. It’s repaired
B. It was repaired
C. It’s been repaired
D. It’s being repaired
E. It will have been repaired

____ They are building a new garage near here. We can also say…..
A. Here is being built by them
B. A new garage is building by them here
C. A new garage is being built by them near here
D. A new garage is being built near here
E. A new garage was being built near here

____ The salary …..very much.

A. must pay
B. must have been being paid
C. must be paid
D. must be paying
E. will pay

____ ‘Shall I buy some butter?’

‘……….actually.’
A. It just buys
B. It’s just bought
C. It’s just buying
D. It just bought
E. It’s just been bought

____ Rye: ‘They are our room.’

Rudi: ‘Oh, my room……..too.’
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 A. is widening
B. was widening
C. are being widened
D. is being widened
E. widens

____ All the salty fish had been eaten by the cats.
From this sentence we know that…..
A. The cats eat all the salty fish
B. The cats had been eaten all the salty fish
C. There are still some salty fish left
D. A cat ate all the salty fish
E. A cat has eaten all the salty fish

____ After waiting for two hours, we were told that the actress….
A. will gone out
B. would be gone out
C. had been gone out
D. have been gone out
E. would have been gone out

____ This house…..for more than twenty years.

A. has been stayed
B. is stayed
C. was stayed
D. will be stayed
E. is being stayed

____ ‘None of us was prepared for the English test.’

This means………
A. Some were prepared and some were not prepared
B. Each of us has prepared for the English test
C. We were all unprepared for the English test
D. Most of us were prepared for the English test
E. No body was unprepared for the English test

____ He was playing guitar when she arrived.

A. He was being play the guitar when she arrived
B. The guitar being played when she arrived
C. The guitar was being played by him when she arrived
D. The guitar was being played when she arrived
E. The guitar was being played when she was arrived
____ ‘I’m sorry but you can’t borrow the book today. The library……’
A. be closed
B. it closes
C. is being closed
D. is closing
E. closing

____ Nothing……since you left us.

A. has been changed
B. is changed
C. will be changed
D. was changed
E. would be changed

____ We told her the nearest place to buy drug.

The passive voice of the sentence is…..
A. She told the nearest place to buy drug
B. She was tell them the nearest place to buy a drug
C. She sold them the nearest place to buy a drug
D. She told them the nearest place to buy a drug
E. She was told them the nearest place to buy a drug

____ The injured bird……..in the special cage for one week.
A. has been kept
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 B. was being kept
C. has be kept
D. was kept
E. have been kept

____ Nobody can wash this dirty shirt.

The correct passive form is…….
A. This dirty shirt cannot be washed
B. This dirty shirt was washed by nobody
C. This dirty shirt could not have been washed
D. This dirty shirt cannot be washing
E. This dirty shirt cannot washed

____ What question……..by the examiner?

A. were set
B. was set
C. is being set is set
D. is set
E. was being set

____ Who announced the information of the English debating competition this morning?
A. Whom the information of the English debating competition has been announced this morning
B. By whom the information of the English debating competition has announced this morning?
C. By whom the information of the English debating competition was announced this morning?
D. By whom was the information of the English debating competition announced this morning?
E. By whom was announced about the information of the English debating competition this morning?

H. MAKE THE ACTIVE INTO PASSIVE!

1. Does she need to write her letter in English?
___________________________________________________________________

2. Are their old clothes going to be given to the poor?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Who has to punish these fighting boys?

____________________________________________________________________

4. Has the police caught those robbers running out your neighbor’s house?
____________________________________________________________________

5. Don’t mock at those lazy students who got punishment from their teacher.
____________________________________________________________________