PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH AND WITHOUT AGENTS

Complete the sentences with a passive construction using the verbs

given and in the form suggested

1. Much of London (destroy) by fire in the seventeenth century (simple

past)

2. The man who (bite) by a snake (give) a serum. (past perfect, past
simple)

3. A leader should be a man who can (respect) (infinitive)

5. The police (instruct) to take firm action against hooligans (present

perfect)

6.he (save) from bankruptcy by the kindness of a friend (past simple)

7. A cease – fire (expect) (declare) later this week (present simple

infinitive)

8. A great deal of research (do) into the possible causes of cancer (present
progressive)

9. The worker claimed that he (victimize) by his employers (past

progressive)

10. The tenant (evict) for not paying his rent ( past simple)

11. It (think) that the Government would do something to help (past

perfect)

12. Three hundred new houses (build) by the end of next year.

13. Because of a strike, work on the building had to (discontinue)

( infinitive)

14.The witness strongly objected to (cross-examine) ( gerund)

15. (threaten) by a blackmailer he immediately informed the police

(perfect participle)

Prepositions in passive sentences

1. A surcharge of 10 per cent (add) ________patrons’ bills to cover
gratuities to hotel staff (present simple)

2. Surplus grain (send) the stricken area and (distribute) the starving
population (past simple)

3.A meeting (arrange)_________ the Commonwealth Prime Ministers.

(present perfect)

4.He said that he (involve)___________ an accident (past perfect)

5.He wanted nothing except (leave)________peace (infinitive)

6.Don’t you think a solicitor should (consult)_________this question?

(perfect infinitive)

7.these tablets should (keep)______ of the reach of children ( infinitive)

8.the full impact of the strike (not feel) ____________next week, by which
time present stocks ( exhaust)_____________(future,future perfect)

9.the two cottages now (convert)________one house (Present Perfect)

10.The results of the examination (not know) __________two months

(futue)

11. No one had supposed that the motion would (defeat) _______such a
large majority (infinitive)

12. the bridge has had (close) ____________repairs (infinitive)

13.All lights must (switch off)_____________11 p.m. (infinitive)

14.The goods should (handle)__________greater care. (perfect infinitive)

15.You (meet) ___________the airport (future)

Phrasal and prepositional verbs

Answer the questions using a passive form of the verbs in brackets,

together with a suitable adverbial particle (off, on, in, out, up, down, etc)

What generally happens to houses that are unfit to live in? (pull)
They are generally pulled down?
1. what must be done with a bad tooth? (pull)

2.what has to be done with dirty crockery and cutlery at the end of a
meal? ( wash)

3.what should happen if mistakes appear in a student’s work? (point)

4. What might happen if you crossed a busy road without looking ( knock)

5.what would happen to a lighted candle if there were a sudden gust of

wind? (blow)

6.what may happen to a man who has committed his first offence? (let)

7. what often happens if negotiations look like being successful? (break)

8. what happens to traffic in a traffic jam? (hold)

9. what happens to workers if they become redundant? (lay)

10.what is done with spoken evidence given to a policeman? (take)

11. what must be done if a plan or an idea proves unworkable? (give)

12.A notice has disappeared from a noticeboard. What could have

happened to it?( pick)

13. I dropped a $10 note in the street, and can’t find it. What could have
happened to it? (pick)

14. No one can attend a meeting on that date. What could be done to
solve the problem? (put)

From active to passive

1. they gave up the search after three hours

2. they ought to have pointed that out to me at the very beginning

3. No one brought up that question at the meeting

4. Someone should look into the matter

5. it was clear that the parents had brought the child up well
6. we had to put off our visit until later

7. I was shocked to hear that someone had broken into your house

8. Don’t speak until someone speaks to you

9. his bank manager turned down his request for a loan

10. you must account for every penny you spent

11. someone hasn’t stuck this stamp on very firmly

12. Events will bear out the truth of what I’m saying

13. An official held us up at the Customs for half an hour

14. How can we bring about the desired result?

15. He hates people making fun of him (passive gerund)

Passive forms of phrasal and prepositional verbs

1. the new washing machines (turn out) at the rate of fifty a day.

2.when her husband died, she naturally assumed that she (provide for)

3. we’ve had to move into a hotel while the house we’ve just bought (do
up)

4. the employee was assured of his (take on) again as soon as work was
available.

5. Richard always (tell off) for careless mistakes nowadays.

6. The agreement had to (draw up) in the presence of two witnesses.

7. Some Heads of Government now fear that negotiations ( break off)

before a settlement is reached

8. The chaiman of the board of directors assured shareholders that the

matter of the deficiency ( look into) by the time the next meeting was
held.
9. He felt he (let down) badly by his best friend.

10. The search party had little idea where to start looking, the climber’s
tracks (blot out) by a recent snowstorm.

Active______passive

1. They gave up the search after three hours

2. They ought to have pointed that out to me at the very beginning

3. No one brought up that question at the meeting

4. Someone should look into the matter

5. it was clear that the parents had brought the child up well

6. we had to put off our visit until late

7. I was shocked to hear that someone had broken into your house

8. Don’t speak until someone speaks to you

9. His bank manager turned down his request for a loan

10. You must account for every penny you spent

11. Someone hasn’t stuck this stamp on very firmly

12. Events will bear out the truth of what I’m saying

13. An official held us up at the Customs for half an hour

14. How can we bring about the desired result?

15. He hates people making fun of him.

Complete the sentences with a passive construction, using the verbs

given in a suitable form

1. They gave the oldest counselor the freedom of the city

2. They denied access to the secret documents to all but a few

3. Someone showed the child how to use the telephone

4. They declared him “persona non grata” and allowed him only 48 hours
to leave the country

5. they gave him artificial respiration

6. why didn’t they offer him the job?

7. didn’t they promise you a rise in salary at the beginning of the year?

8. someone left him a legacy of $10,000

9. when he looked at the stamps, he found they had sold him forgeries

10. What did they pay you for doing the job?

11. someone should tell him never to do that again

12. they asked you to meet me here at 11 o’clock, not half –past

13. will someone send me the details?

14. we shall send you the goods as soon as they are available

15. Someone must teach that boy a lesson!

Rewrite the sentences to an alternative passive form, beginning your

sentences with the words in italics

1. it is said that he is an honest, hard- working man.

2. It is condered that this surgeon is a brilliant practicioner.

3. It is now thought that some redundancies in the Company are

inevitable.

4. it was proved that the statements he had made were false

5. It was understood that the delegation was keen to meet the British
Prime Minister

6. It is believed that the Chanceller is thinking of imposing new taxes to

raise extra revenue

7. It is expected that the electricity supply industry will be running into

surplus capacity by next year
8. It is reported that several Japanese manufacturers are planning to set
up plants overseas

9. It is expected that the brewers will raise the price of beer in the near
future

10. It was claimed that the drug produced no undesirable side - effects

11.It is said that the police acted with great restraint, despite provocation.

12. It was alleged that The Prime Minister had misled the House

13.It is believed that the Government has had second thoughts on this
problem

14. It was believed that the explosion had been caused by a mine

15. It is presumed that the the ship’s radio equipment was put out of
actions during the fire

16. It is thought that the driver had both legs broken in the crash.

CAUSATIVE HAVE

Rewrite the sentences using a causative form of HAVE or GET

1. you should arrange to install central heating before winter comes

( have)

2. He is arranging for an artist to paint his wife’s portrait (have)

3.They were made man and wife in 1980 (get)

4.Five years later, they were no longer man and wife (get)

5.Drive carefully if you don’t want to risk the police endorsing your licence
again (have)

6. The tree was so diseased that we had to ask someone to cut it down.
(have)

7.The authorities are encouraging mothers to arrange for the vaccination

of their children ( get)
8. Someone has written all the answers in this book (have)

9. She made an appointment with the optician for an examination of her

eyes ( have)

10. Nobody would ever have beaten the champion if he had retired after
his last fight (get)

Active to passive

1. The fact that the new scheme raised such a storm of disapproval means
that no one can have explained it properly to the public.

2.His father warned him not to let others lead him astray

3.The chairman of the committee complained that they were taking up

too much time in discussing trivialities.

4. People put down the boy’s rudeness to his parents’ having spoiled him

5.Not until later did they discover that someone had stolen the picture.

6. Never before had they sent anyone to prison for that particular crime.

7. They could make the law effective only in this way.

8. People said that no one could reach any agreement on this question.

9. The army put down the rebellion and declared martial law.

10. He wanted them to treat the information as confidential

11. Had they told me that someone was to bring up the subject of finance
at the next meeting, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.

12. He dislikes his fellow- workers thinking him a fool

13. The public having ignored him for many years, the writer suddenly
became famous.

14. Should someone prove beyond doubt that an accident caused the fire,
the police will, naturally, release the man they are at present holding on
suspicion of arson.
15. On their informing him that the police wanted him, the man realized
that his accomplice had betrayed him.

Passive to active

1. the fire was finally got under control, but not before extensive damage
had been caused.

2. Don’t let yourself be depressed by your failure

3.in view of the widespread concern that is felt by the community at the
plan for a main road to be built through the village, it has been decided by
the local Council that a special inquiry should be held.

4.The house had been broken into, and two thousand pounds’ worth of
jewellery had been stolen.

5.Only after it had been subjected to searching laboratory tests by the

scientists was the new vaccine put on the market by the market

6.The plan hadn’t been at all well thought out by the leader

7.It ought to have been made quite clear to the shareholders before the
annual meeting was held that they would not be allowed to vote for a new
Board by proxy.

8.your lawyer’s advice should have been obtained before any decision was
made by you for the matter to be taken further.

9. He needn’t have been caused so much distress by being told by the

army authorities that his brother had died in action, as it was later
discovered that a mistake had been made as to the missing man’s identity.

10. Information about the source from which the startling news had been
obtained was withheld by the reporter.