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THE PASSIVE
Links to exercises:
http://www.bnv-bamberg.de/home/ulrich.koch/flg/englischinteraktiv/passive2.htm
http://users.fulladsl.be/spb9193/pass_2.html
http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/passive2.htm
http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/bgpassiv.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/passiv.htm
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/allexercises/Grammar/Grammar-passive_voice.asp

The Passive is used:

1.- when the agent (the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context.
Jane was shot. (We don’t know who shot her.)
This church was built in 1815. (unimportant agent)
He has been arrested. (obviously by the police).

2. to make more polite or formal statements.

The car hasn’t been cleaned. (more polite) / You haven’t cleaned the car. – less polite)

3. when the action is more important than the agent, as in processes, instructions, events, reports, headlines, news
items, and advertisements.
30 people were killed in the earthquake.

General rule for the verbs:

(TO BE) + THE PAST PARTICIPLE
Example:
Mrs Bell answered my question My question was answered by Mrs. Bell

1.- simple present:

Authors write books. Books __________ written by authors.
2.- present continuous
Mr Brown is writing that book That book _____________ written by Mr Brown
3.- present perfect:
Ms Lee has written the report The report ____________ written by Ms Lee.
4.- simple past
Bob wrote that letter That letter ____________ written by Bob.
5.- past continuous
A student was writing the report The report ______________ written by a student.
6.- past perfect
Lucy had written a memo. A memo _______________ written by Lucy
7. simple future
Your teacher will write a report A report ________________ written by your teacher.
8.- be going to
Tom is going to write the letter The letter _______________ written by Tom.
9.- future perfect
Alice will have written the report The report ___________________ written by Alice.

10.- The judges have made a decision.
11.- Several people saw the accident.
12.- Ann is sending the letters
13.- Fred will plan the party.
14.- The medicine had cured my illness.
15.- The cat will have caught the mouse.
16.- Engineers design bridges.
17.- The city is going to build a bridge.
18.- A guard was protecting the jewels.
A decision ___________________ made by the judges.
The accident _________ seen by several people.
The letters _____________ sent by Ann.
The party ______________ planned by Fred.
My illness ______________ cured by the medicine.
The mouse _____________ caught by the cat.
Bridges _____________ designed by engineers.
A bridge ____________ built by the city.
The jewels _______________ protected by a guard.
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1.- Match sentences 1-8 with tenses A-H.

1 _____ The thieves took the laptop computer active

2 _____ My sister needs some new shoes A present simple
3 _____ Everybody will be invited to the party B present perfect
4 _____ My mobile has been stolen. C past simple
5 _____ I’ve finished my homework D will future
6 _____ The news was shown at nine o’clock passive
7 _____ There will be a test next week E present simple
8 _____ In Britain, presents are given on 25th December F present perfect
G past simple
H will future

2.- Put the verbs in parentheses into the passive voice, using the tenses suggested:
1. The house ___________________ (clean) every day. (Present Simple)
2. The money ________________ (steal) during the night. (Past Simple)
3. The book ____________________ (leave) on the table (Future simple)
4. The meal _____________________ (cook) when I arrived. (Past Continuous)
5. The grass _____________________ (cut) once a week. (Present Simple)
6. This suit ______________________ (make) in England. (Past Simple)
7. The missing child ________________ (find). (Present Perfect)
8. The house must ______________ (sell) before the end of the month. (Infinitive)
9. Four different languages ________________ (speak) in Switzerland. (Present simple)
10. You can’t go in; the house ________________ (paint) . (Present Continuous).
11. It can’t ________________ (do) before Friday. (Infinitive)
12. The book ___________________ (translate) into many languages. (Present Perfect)

3.- Underline the passive verb in each sentence:
1. Everyone understood that a lot of mistakes were
made.
2. The workers are happy when they are not
exploited.
3. Many of the rules that were made years ago don’t
exist any more.
4. I have applied for a place at college, but I have no
idea whether I will be accepted.
5. We weren’t able to see the flat properly because it
was being painted.
4.- Label the underlined verbs P (passive) or A (active).
1. A new leisure centre is being built in my area.
2. I’m playing tennis there with Bill next Monday.
3. Someone has stolen Joe’s new car!
4. Sue’s CD player has been fixed but it still doesn’t
work well.
5. Hundreds of people will be voting in next week’s
elections.
6. By next month, I will have been in this flat for a
year.
7. That terrible book wasn’t written by her, was it?
8. Messi had just scored a goal when the referee
blew the whistle.
9. The meeting has been postponed until tomorrow.
10. They’re going to sell the tickets for the concert on
the Internet.
5.-.- Choose the correct alternatives:
1. What time was the crime / has the crime been
committed last night?
2. Look! The houses were / have been damaged in
the bad weather.
3. We couldn’t read the email because it isn’t /
wasn’t written in English.
4. Millions of newspapers were / are read every day.
5. Has / Was the car ever been stolen?
6. This book will be / was published in England
twenty years ago.
7. The two men who broke into our flat have been /
are caught.
8. My cousin was / has been injured in a riding
accident last weekend.
6.- Choose the correct alternatives:
1. A lot of money spends/is spent on top sports stars.
2. My best friend has been designing / has been
designed her own clothes for years.
3. The traffic delayed / was delayed for four hours on
the motorway.
4. They are going to play/going to be played the
game again at the weekend.
5. Those beaches have polluted / have been polluted
by the oil tanker.
6. Carmen repairs /is repaired old furniture.
7. The competition will sponsor / will be sponsored
by big multinational companies.
8. Kate won’t have arrived / won’t have been arrived
before me.
9. I think Peter gave /was given me his cold last
week!
10. We had a lovely evening, and soon our argument
forgot / was forgotten.
7.- Choose the correct answer.
1. All the woman’s family mention /were mentioned
in the speech.
2. The child looks after / is looked after by a nanny.
3. It’s difficult to know which one will be chosen / will
choose.
4. Did you understand the reply that were given /
was given?
5. We knew the man whose flat we were bought /
bought.
6. All test papers must hand in / must be handed in
now.
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7. Have you any idea when the clock will be fixed /
will fix?
8. Many new books were advertised / advertised, but
I didn’t buy / wasn’t bought any of them.
9. My dog had been fed / had fed before I got home.
10. This vase thought / is thought to be thousands of
years old.
11. The judge was sentenced / sentenced the thief to
a year in prison.
12. A new law has been passed / has passed on
pollution.
13. It is believed red meat to be unhealthy / that red
meat is unhealthy.
14. You should have asked / should have been asked
my permission.

8.- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. It may be active or passive.
1. There is no cake left. It ____________________ (eat) yesterday.
2. The children are vey quiet. They __________________ (watch) TV.
3. My money __________________ (invest) in that project.
4. Do you think the job __________________ (complete) by next week?
5. These pills ______________________ (must /take) three times a day.
6. So far, we __________________ (not receive) very good service in this shop.
7. My winter coat ______________________ (clean) at the moment.
8. I’m annoyed. I ____________________ (should / give) a pay rise.
9. We couldn’t ride the bicycle because it ___________________________________ (not repair)
10. These floors are filthy. It seems that they ____________________________ (not wash) for days.
11. She looks upset. Her offer _______________________________ (must / turn down).
12. This restaurant _________________________________ (know) to be expensive, but the food is great.

9.- Choose the correct answer:

1. Our house damaged / was damaged in the storm.
2. They will watch / will be watched.
3. All your questions will answer / will be answered.
4. At night, you can hear / can be heard strange sounds coming from the haunted house.
5. Would you like to wait while your bicycle is repairing / is being repaired?
6. That programme shows / is shown on different television channels across the world.
7. The car behind us is stopped / is being stopped by the police.
8. Portuguese is spoken / is being spoken in Brazil.
9. Every year, a winner is chosen / is being chosen from the five finalists.
10. I’d like to learn more about how films are produced / are being produced.
11. Be careful! The building is painted /is being painted.
12. The film is shot / is being shot right now.
13. Our town was established / was being established in 1853.
14. Marjorie was angry that day because she felt that she was taken / was being taken for granted.
15. At the ceremony last night, a prize was given / was being given to the best actor.
16. When we turned on the programme, Rebecca was kissed / was being kissed by Richard.
17. I joined the company at a time when salaries were increased / were being increased.
18. Last year’s concert was promoted / was being promoted heavily, but this year, the publicity will be by word
of mouth only.

10.- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Present Simple or
Continuous Passive tenses.
1. Can you hear that? I think your name ___________________ (call).
2. That newspaper ______________________ (print) in London.
3. Let’s watch while the ship ___________________ (load).
4. We can have a cup of coffee while our car ________________ (wash).
5. In this game, each player _____________________ (give) seven cards.
6. I like to read books in the language in which they were written. Something ________________ (lose) in
translation.

11.- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the active or passive.
1. Go to that hospital, and you ______________________ (treat) by first-class doctors.
2. They _____________________ (grow) roses in Ecuador.
3. When I asked why, I ____________________ (tell) that it was a secret.
4. The teacher caught the student just as she _________________________ (copy) from the student next to
her.
5. In situations like these, a bit of patience _____________________ (need).
6. The new motorway ____________________ (build) at the moment.
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12.- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use Past Simple or Continuous
Passive tenses.
1. When my mother went to school, she _________________ (expect) to wear a uniform.
2. The trip _____________________ (cancel) because of the transport strike.
3. While my ears _____________________ (pierce), I tried to think of something else.
4. I watched while the sink ____________________ (repair) so I could try to do it myself the next time.
5. He _________________________ (nominate) for an Oscar in 1990, but he didn’t win.
6. Eric heard an unfamiliar noise, and he suddenly realised that his flat _________________ (rob)

13.- Choose the active or passive form:

1. Sorry , the shop closes / is closed now.
2. The prize was given / gave to the student with the highest marks.
3. Dave couldn’t save / couldn’t be saved enough money to go on the trip.
4. Don’t look now, but you are being followed / are followed.
5. When Nina performs on the radio, her singing will be heard / will hear by thousands of people.
6. Marge’s ears pierced / were pierced when she was three years old.
7. The teacher should have explained / should have been explained the material more clearly.
8. I knew she has been informed / had been informed of the problem earlier.
9. Justine has accepted / has been accepted to medical school.
10. An error has found / has been found in your bill.

14.- Write the correct form of the passive.

1. Please do not send original artwork. It _________________ (not return) to you.
2. At the moment, the suspect ________________________ (hold) for questioning.
3. Our house _______________________ (build) in 1995.
4. Those fish ____________________ (often find) in shallow water.
5. We all decided that Mick was too young to hear the details of the accident so he ______________ (not tell)
the truth.
6. You ______________________ (see) by the doctor in a few minutes.
7. Over 30,000 people _________________________ (treat) at this hospital since it opened.
8. It was impossible to find out whether or not the bills __________________ (pay).
9. The dog _____________________ (not feed) all day. He must be hungry.
10. We _______________________ (warn) about the risks, but we weren’t concerned.
11. If your money _________________________ (invest) wisely, you would be rich today.
12. Please call to confirm the message ______________________ (receive).

15.- Complete the sentences. Use the correct passive form of the verbs.
1. When the photos arrive, they _______________________ (develop) immediately.
2. Newspapers _________________________ (print) very early in the morning.
3. I’m sure the tournament _____________________ (win) by a Spanish player this year.
4. This village ________________________ (not visit) by tourists for the last ten years.
5. Our house _____________________ (burgle) twice last year.
6. A helicopter ____________________ (send) as soon as they heard the news.
7. Jewellery _______________________ (not wear) in this school.
8. When the children reached dry land at last, they ______________________ (interview) by five journalists.
9. Ow! I _____________________ (sting) by a wasp.

16.- Choose the correct answer:

1. A new law on health care passed / was passed by the government last month.
2. School uniforms aren’t worn / don’t wear at our school.
3. We will meet / will be met you at the station at 10 o’clock.
4. We believe that endangered animals should be protected / should protect.
5. Notices have sent / have been sent to all the members of the club.
6. The offices were cleaning / were being cleaned all afternoon.
7. Dave hadn’t finished / hadn’t been finished the exam when the bell rang.
8. Dogs mustn’t take / mustn’t be taken into shops.

17.- Complete the sentences with a passive form of the verb in brackets.
1. Bread _______________ (make) from flour.
2. I was at school when these houses___________________ (was building).
3. Cakes _____________ (make) from flour.
4. We lived in a caravan in the garden while our house _________________ (was building).
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5. These cups ______________ (broke) when we arrived.

18.- Make questions from the passive sentences in brackets.

1. That car was made in Germany. Where….
2. Mary was examined by the doctor this morning. When….
3. The food will be ready soon. When….
4. This window has been broken three times. How many times….

19.- Write the negative of the sentences in exercise 18.

1. That car….
2. Mary ….
3. The food….
4. This window….

Changes in structure:
SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
ACTIVE John bought the painting

SUBJECT VERB AGENT

PASSIVE The painting was bought by John.

Using the ‘by’ phrase.

by + agent is used to say who or what did the action.
The old lady was rescued by the firefighter.
by + agent is omitted in the passive sentence when the agent is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the
context. It is also omitted when the subject of the active sentence is a word such as someone, people, they, I, you,
etc.
Someone has broken the lock - The lock has been broken.

20.- Which sentences need by + agent?

1. Credit cards are accepted here (by us).
2. This road isn’t used much (by people).
3. She was interviewed (by an interviewer) on the news.
4. This place was sometimes visited (by the king).
5. Was this film directed (by Almodóvar)?

21.- Complete the passive sentences with your ideas. Add by and an agent.
1. TV stars are often annoyed….
2. I’ve never been kissed …
3. Barcelona won’t be beaten…
4. I’ve never been frightened ….
5. My favourite CD was recorded….
6. The best CD in the world was recorded….

22.- Each of the following sentences tells us something about a person. Express the same fact in a
sentence that tells us about the thing and that has a passive verb. Use by.
1. Picasso painted Guernica. Guernica was painted by Picasso.
2. Alexander Fleming discovered the drug penicillin.
3. The Beatles wrote the song Yesterday.
4. Agatha Christie created the detective Hercule Poirot.
5. Beethoven composed the Eroica symphony.
6. Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind.
7. Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park.
8. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
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23.- Put the words in the correct order to make passive sentences. Then complete the sentence with by +
an agent in the list when necessary.

the Queen – millions of people – a dog – Alexander-Graham Bell – Steven Spielberg.

1. telephone / was / the / invented The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell
2. will / opened / the / hospital / new / be
3. isn’t / smoking / in / building / allowed / this
4. was / War of the Worlds / the / directed / film / latest
5. Watched / programme / be / that / will
6. times / told / joke / been / has / many / that
7. youngest / bitten / child / was / the

24.- Which sentences are not natural uses of the passive? Rewrite the sentences in the active.
That road was built last year. √
Lunch is normally eaten by us at two o’ clock. x We normally eat lunch at two o’clock.
1. You will be met by me outside the cinema.
2. My computer has finally been fixed.
3. Some CDs were bought by Tony yesterday.
4. The song was recorded two years ago.
5. Three men were arrested at the airport.
6. My homework will be done by me before I go out.
7. The famous couple were met by a large crowd of fans.
8. A house is being built by us on that piece of land.

Omitting by + agent.
25.- Complete the sentences with the agents in the list. Two sentences do not need an agent.

by Alfred Nobel – by a tour representative – by many different bands – by snow –

1. The path was hidden _________________________ so we had to guess which way to go.
2. Dynamite was invented ______________________
3. Your new sofa will be delivered tomorrow _____________________________
4. This well-known song has been recorded ________________________
5. When we get to the airport, will we be met _____________________________?
6. Dogs are not permitted in the park ____________________________

26.- Complete the sentences with an agent. Omit the agent if possible.
My aunt and uncle looked after me very well when I stayed with them. I was looked after very well by my aunt and
uncle when I stayed with them.
1. A team of writers writes this comedy series. This comedy series is written….
2. A company interviewed a lot of people for a survey about TV. A lot of people were interviewed
______________________ for a survey about TV,.
3. Ouch! A bee has stung me! Ouch! I’ve been stung ________________________!
4. Waiters will serve breakfast at 8.00 a.m. Breakfast will be served ______________________ at 8.00 a.m.
5. Thousands of people attended the concert. The concert was attended ______________________
6. Children can play this game. This game can be played ___________________________.

27.- Change the active sentences to passive. Keep the same tense. Include the ‘by phrase’ only if
necessary.
1. Someone cut down that tree last week. That tree was cut down last week (no ‘by’ phrase).
2. Sally made that pie.
3. Someone is considering Jack for that job
4. Three continents surround the Mediterranean Sea.
5. I got upset when someone interrupted me in the middle of my story.
6. When Robert returned home, each of his relatives embraced him.
7. People didn’t build Rome in a day.
8. Where do they file that information?
9. Before we arrived, someone had chained the dog to the fence in the backyard.
10. Did the noise from the neighbours’ apartment annoy you last night?
11. As soon as it happened, people broadcast the news all over the world.
12. Do they make those tractors in this country, or do they import them?
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13. While I was walking down the street, a nice young man in a military uniform approached me.
14. They will not provide pencils at the test, so please bring your own.

28.- Rewrite the sentences in the passive. Omit the agent when possible.
1. Both teams must agree on the date for the match.
2. The postman may have delivered the letters to the wrong address.
3. We didn’t see the famous painting because somebody had stolen it.
4. The doctor is examining the patient now.
5. The prisoner escaped while the police were questioning him.

29.- Correct the error in each of the sentences.

1. Why is that car being taking away by the police?
2. A lot of food ate at the party.
3. You shouldn’t have been read my diary.
4. This book mustn’t take out of the library.
5. John hasn’t seen by anyone all week.
6. English spoken in many countries of the world.
7. His article will publish in tomorrow’s newspaper.
8. I couldn’t enter the room because the floor was washing.

30.- Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the active or passive.

Many people use the Internet, or the Net as it 1________________ (call). Some people consider it as an
encyclopedia, which 2 ____________________ (can/use) to get information. However, when it
3______________(create) , the Internet had a different purpose. Until then, people 4 ________________
(communicate) by radio and telephone, but these means of communication 5 _______________________ (not
consider) safe ways of sending private messages. A new way of sending private or secret information 6
_________________ (need).
Researchers in the American Defence Department studied the problem, and in 1969 they 7 _________________
(establish) the Internet. Since then, the Net has grown and changed. In recent years, it 8 ________________
(use) for e-mail, shopping and chatting to people all over the world. Millions of people 9 _______________
(connect) to it. Perhaps, in the future, phones 10 _____________________ (replace) entirely by e-mail, but for
the time being, there are still many people who prefer to chat on the phone.

31.-Underline the passive verbs. Then rewrite the sentences in the active.
1. A valuable painting was stolen from the Louvre last night.
2. The World Cup is watched by millions of football fans.
3. The film premiere will be attended by lots of stars.
4. The first movie camera was invented by William Dickson in 1891.

32.- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the passive.
1. The leather jacket ___________________ (design) by a famous designer. It cost £3,500.
2. The new Green Day album __________________ (not release) until September.
3. A lot of computer games ______________ (make) in Taiwan these days. Most of the games
_________________ (export) to America and Europe.
4. Madonna is a very popular singer. Every week millions of her CDs ______________ (sell) around the
world.
5. Romeo and Juliet ________________ (perform) at the Globe Theatre next Saturday.

33. Complete the article with the correct form of the passive.

Stunts
Nowadays, action films are getting more and more spectacular. Many special effects 1 _______________ (add)
to make the action more realistic.
It’s impossible to control the weather during filming. As a result, weather effects 2 ______________ often
_______ (create) for the film. For example, the winter scenes in Young Sherlock Holmes 3________________
(not film) in winter, but in the middle of summer. The snow 4 ____________________ (make) of polystyrene!
Car chases, high-speed crashes, or falls from high buildings 5 _______________ (not play) by the stars
themselves – they 6 ___________________ (do) by stuntmen. In Volcano, stuntmen ______________ (set on
fire). However, the actors _________________(protect) by several layers of special clothing, so nobody
_________________ (injure).
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In the future, many stunts ___________________ (not need) . Most effects ___________________ (generate)
by computer, so action films should be safer and easier to make.
34.- Rewrite the sentences in the passive.
1. Their story terrified us.
2. The high-speed chase in the film will excite the audience.
3. They wasted a lot of time.
4. The doctor didn’t see the patient.

35.- Rewrite the sentences in the active.

1. All the fruit was picked last week. The farmers.
2. The rooms were being painted when we arrived.
3. Pictures can be exhibited in the gallery.
4. These exercises have to be finished tonight.

36.- Transform the sentences from passive to active or from active to passive.
1. They can’t cure some diseases.
2. They developed DVDs in Japan.
3. They are filming one scene here next week.
4. Three of my paintings have been bought by my friends.
5. French is spoken by nearly seven million people in Canada.
6. By the end of last year they had built the new road.
7. Our college might be visited by the Prime Minister next term.

37.- Transform the sentences from active to passive. Omit the agent if possible.
1. Someone burgled our flat last week.
2. People have manufactured cars here for 60 years.
3. Millions of people watch television advertisements.
4. Why did the police stop you last night?
5. They will send astronauts to Mars soon.
6. An experienced producer is making this documentary.
7. I found an old letter in a drawer. No one had opened it.

38.- Rewrite the sentences in the active or passive. Include the by-phrase where appropriate.
1. They’ll finish the competition by the end of next week.
2. They show lots of fascinating documentaries on that channel.
3. The article was written by a well-known journalist from El País.
4. Gerry was making dinner when I arrived.
5. They’re going to build that new office block by the end of the month.
6. Jackie had her briefcase stolen at the meeting.
7. Mark Davies has broken the national 100m sprint record.

39.- Complete the newspaper extracts with the correct form of the passive.

Two climbers 1.______________ (rescue) from the top of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. After eight hours
in sub-zero temperatures, the climbers 2______________ (lift off) the mountain last night by helicopter. Today,
both climbers 3_________________ (say) to be recovering well in hospital.

A man 4______________ (hold) by police today in connection with the Gates robbery. Billionaire Phil Gates’s
$10-million mansion 5____________________ (break into) and over $5 million worth of goods
6_______________ (steal) , including a valuable Picasso painting.

The nation’s biggest football transfer fee 7 ________________________ (just/announce). Superstar Roberto 8
____________________ (buy) for an amazing £30 million. His first match 9 _______________ (play) against
Real Madrid next month.

40.- VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS

Some verbs have two objects. For example, give:
We gave the police the information (= We gave the information to the police)
object 1 object 2
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So it is possible to make two passive sentences:

The police were given the information or The information was given to the police.

Other verbs which can have two objects are: ask – offer – pay – show – teach – tell
When we use these verbs in the passive, most often we begin with the person:
I was offered the job but I refused it. ( = they offered me the job).
You will be given plenty of time to decide. (= we will give you plenty of time to decide).
Have you been shown the new machine? (= has anybody shown you …?)
The men were paid £200 to do the work. (= somebody paid the men £200)

Write these sentences in another way, beginning in the way shown:

1. They didn’t give me the money. I ….
2. They asked me some difficult questions at the interview. I…
3. Janet’s colleagues gave her a present when she retired. Janet….
4. Nobody told me that George was ill. I….
5. How much will they pay you?
6. I think they should have offered Tom the job.
7. Has anybody shown you what to do?

41.- The passive: direct and indirect objects.

The sentences below are from an article about the money paid to famous sports people. Rewrite each
sentence beginning with the phrase in bold type.
Example: They paid the racing driver Bobby Kraft £200,000 when he won the Grand Prix.
£200,000 was paid to the racing driver Bobby Kraft when he won the Grand Prix.

Their club have promised the AC Milan team a new house each if they win the European Cup.
The AC Milan team have been promised a new house each if they win the European Cup.

1. They gave the tennis player Kathy Duprey £50,000 for winning a competition.
2. A company has paid the skier Anne Stolberg £40,000 to advertise ski trousers.
3. A TV company gave the ice hockey team Phoenix Flyers £20,000 each to play in front of the cameras.
4. His club plays footballer Wayne Simmonds £250 for every goal he scores.
5. A company offered the cyclist Luigi Delgado £25,000 to advertise a soft drink.
6. Henry Lane will pay the boxer Howard Duke $3 million for his next fight.
7. They’ve promised the London Wonders basketball team a holiday in the West Indies if they win the
league.

42.- Change the sentences to the passive by using the indirect object as the subject of the sentence. Use
the ‘by phrase’ only if necessary. Keep the same tense.
Someone is going to serve Jack breakfast in bed on his birthday. Jack is going to be served breakfast in bed on his
birthday.
1. Someone has offered Mike the opportunity to study abroad.
2. People don’t pay babysitters a lot of money.
3. When I was living in Kuwait, my neighbour taught me Arabic.
4. Someone awarded Jason a medal for distinguished service in the military.
5. The real estate office will send you a copy of the sales contract.
6. Someone handed me a telegram when I answered the door.
7. The director of the museum, Mrs Cynthia Hall, is going to give the schoolchildren a special tour of the
modern art exhibit.
8. People gave Mr French a gold watch upon his retirement from the company.

43.- Complete the sentences with the words in brackets.

At the end of the show the participants were given some flowers.
1. On this course _________________ will be taught ______________ (you / photography)
2. ______________ is paid ______________ ( a lot of money / this presenter)
3. ____________________ must not be told _____________ . ( Juan / the truth)
4. ________________ were asked ______________ in last night’s game (some difficult questions / the
contestants)
5. I was very surprised when _______________ was sent _____________ (a free air ticket / I)
6. ________________ have been offered ______________ for our car. (we / a good price).
 10

44.- Correct the sentences

More science should be taught young children. More science should be taught to young children, OR Young
children should be taught more science.
1. English is speaking here.
2. My mother borned in 1952.
3. You have been sent by a free gift with your order.
4. The new designs were shown the director.
5. Cars make everywhere.
6. To you could be offered a part in the series.

45.- Transform the sentences from passive to active or active to passive.

1. They developed laser eye treatment in Russia.
2. They will build a new stadium in 2025.
3. They’ve spent over five million pounds on the new school building.
4. Two men have been arrested by the police.
5. She is usually driven to school by her sister.
6. The song was originally written by the Beatles.
7. This photo was taken by Ben when he was in India.
8. They will release the album next month.
9. My brother introduced me to my boyfriend.

46.- Transform the sentences from active to passive. Only include the agent where necessary.
1. They filmed Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
2. They have translated Harry Potter into 47 languages.
3. Somebody’s stolen my motorbike.
4. Federer beat Roddick at Wimbledon last year.
5. We haven’t seen him for two weeks.
6. They introduced the euro in Spain in 2002.
7. The chauffeur will take us to the airport.

47. Complete the sentences with the verbs in the list. Use the present simple active or passive, or the past
simple active or passive.

make – die – use – cancel – close – open – steal

1. Yesterday’s match _______________ because of the rain.

2. My wallet _______________ yesterday.
3. The bank _________________ at 9.30.
4. Paper ________________ from wood.
5. My grandfather ________________ in 1987.
6. It’s Sunday. The library ________________.

48.- Put these sentences into the passive.

The criminals are holding me hostage. I am being held hostage by the criminals.
1. They were rescuing the passengers at 9 o’clock.
2. She’s not going to eat the apples in the fridge.
3. They will shoot the new Harry Potter film in Brazil.
4. Are they painting their bathroom again?
5. They’ll leave the milk on our doorstep.
6. Was everyone watching the match?
7. Pavarotti sang a beautiful aria in this theatre.
8. They are printing the report for the next morning.

49.- Complete the sentences with a passive form of the verbs in brackets.
1. These letters ___________________________ (must type) before 5 o’clock.
2. Al the windows ___________________ (have cleaned) this week.
3. Some money ______________________ (have stolen) from Tom’s jacket.
4. These shoes _______________________ (may make) in Spain.
5. English ____________________ (should speak) everywhere.
6. This vase _________________ (have broken) before.
7. The heating __________________ (had repaired) by November.
8. Your teeth ___________________ (have to brush) three times a day.
 11

9. These mountains ____________________ (can see) from a great distance.

10. White wine ______________________ (ought to drink) chilled.

50.- Use a passive sentence to say the same as the sentences in brackets, but do not say who did the
action. Use the correct tense.
1. They asked John a lot of difficult questions. John…
2. They gave Mary some flowers.
3. They offered Jane a wonderful job.
4. He will give all the children a present.
5. Somebody sent me a strange letter.
6. They will pay Mrs Jenkins over five hundred pounds.
7. Her parents have promised Ann a bicycle for her birthday.

51.- Make these active sentences passive. Use a phrase with by.
1. Your manager must write the report.
2. The children ought to organize the Christmas party themselves.
3. The French team has won the silver medal.
4. A woman has been training the guard dogs.
5. People of all ages can play this game.
6. A large crowd must be watching the match.
7. The secretary could send a reply soon.
8. Two different teachers have marked the exams.

52.- Complete the sentences with the correct active or passive form of the verbs in brackets.
1. ‘Can I use the swimming pool?’ ‘No, I’m sorry you can’t. The pool ________________ (clean) at the
moment.’
2. Amazing! My teacher ___________________ (compliment) me this afternoon and said how good my work
was.
3. By the time we got to the party, all the food ________________ (eat), so we didn’t get anything.
4. I promise I ____________________ (give) you the money back next week.
5. That house looks very old. Do you know when it ____________________ (build)’

53.- Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets:

‘We 1___________________ (just/receive) a report,’ 2_____________ (say) the radio announcer, ‘ that rioting
3____________________ (break) out in Umgolia. Students, who 4____________________ (demonstrate)
outside the Escalopian Embassy during the day, 5 __________________ (break) into the building last night and
6 _______ (set) it on fire. The students 7 ___________________ (protest) against the new tax on beer mugs
which 8 ____________________ (recently/impose) by the Escalopian government. A spokesman 9
_____________ (say) that the beer mug industry in Umgolia 10 ______________________ (seriously /affect).
The Escalopian Ambassador, who 11 ___________________ (say) to have been slightly injured, 12
__________________ (bravely/defend) by his servant, Mr Flugel Horst. Mr Horst 13 ____________________
(keep) off the students with a fire extinguisher. The Premier of Umgolia 14 ___________________ (announce)
this evening that, in future, steps 15 ____________________ (take) to prevent further incidents’.

54.- Rewrite the following in the passive.

1. She promised him a book.
2. Someone asked the student a very difficult question.
3. They are repairing my piano at the moment.
4. They showed me a beautiful drawing.
5. Nobody has answered my question properly.
6. They will send him to prison.
7. Somebody sill meet the visitors at the station.
8. Someone must finish the work.
9. She didn’t introduce me to her mother.
10. They brought the children up in Italy.
11. They teach the students English literature.
12. Grandma told the children a story.
13. John informed the police of the accident.
14. Someone has locked the door.
15. They told me that I could not go.
 12

55.- Change the verbs in the passage below from passive to active. Begin ‘William Randolph Hearst…’

Julia Morgan was chosen to design San Simeon by William Randolph Hearst, but she was continually ordered by
him to change things; she was told to knock down whole floors which had been constructed by the workmen and
was made to rebuild them. Agents were sent by Hearst to find works of art for the castle which were shipped back
by them to America. Since Hearst’s death the castle has been given to the American people by his family and the
contents will eventually be handed over by them. Unfortunately Hearst’s agents were often deceived by art
dealers and were sold cheap imitations by them instead of real works of art.

56.- Complete this news report with the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. Some are active, others are
passive.

Millions of pounds worth of damage 1_______________ (cause) by a storm which 2_____________ (pass)
across the north of England last night. The River Ribble 3 _________________ (burst) its banks after heavy rain.
People 4 _______________ (rescue) from the floods by firemen, who 5 __________________ (receive)
numerous calls for help. Wind speeds 6 ________________________ (reach) ninety miles an hour in some
places. Roads 7 ________________________ (block) by fallen trees and electricity lines 8
__________________ (bring) down, leaving thousands of homes without electricity. ‘Everything possible 9
_____________________ (do) to get the situation back to normal’, a spokesman 10. ______________________
(say).

57.- Complete the text with the words in the list.

being – are – are – eliminated – given – had been eliminated – were sent – have been
chosen – have been developed – put – was

Recipe for reality success.

Most successful reality shows, like Survivor or Big Brother, 1_______________________ to include a few basic
ingredients.
The most important ingredients are the contestants, who 2_____________________ selected so that there is
some ‘chemistry’ between them – the more explosive, the better. You can usually see that the contestants 3
_____________ with this idea. These people are then 4 ________________________ into strange situations
and they are 5 ______________________ funny or difficult tasks. Finally, contestants are 6
__________________ and the viewers 7 _________________________ often given the power to do this.
Increasingly, eccentric shows are 8 ___________________ invented. In an American program called Joe
Millionaire, twenty women 9 _____________________ to France to win the heart of a millionaire bachelor. After
nineteen contestants 10 _________________, the ‘winner’ 11 ______________ told that the bachelor wasn’t rich
at all. What will they think of next?

58.- Complete the text. Use the passive or active form of the verbs.

Monster shark attack

Yesterday five fishermen 1___________________ (survive) a terrifying experience with a
6 metre shark off the coast of Sydney in Australia. The boat 2 ________________
(attack) by the shark for 90 minutes and two men nearly 3 ___________________ (fall)
into the sea.
The shark also 4 _________________ (attack) a tour boat. ‘The boat 5
___________________ (hit) by the shark a few times,’ said tourist Brad Hunter, ‘then it 6
______________________ (come) out of the water to look at us. You see sharks in films, but you 7
________________________ (not know) how big and powerful they are.’
In fact each year one or two people 8 ____________________ (kill) by sharks in Australia. Many attacks happen
because sharks often 9 ____________________ (think) people are fish.
 13

59.- Change the sentences from a passive to an active construction.

1. ‘Hamlet’ was written by Shakespeare.
2. He may be sent overseas by his company.
3. The spare parts are made by a German company.
4. The picture was painted by a famous artist.
5. It can be understood by any student.
6. The exhibition will be opened by the Minister for Art.
7. The plan has been approved by the Government.
8. He’ll be given an injection by the doctor.
9. I might be offered a job by an advertising agency.
10. We were shown photographs of the criminal by the police inspector.
11. They are taught gymnastics by an Olympic champion.
12. We’ve been lent some money by my wife’s parents.

60.- Change the sentences from an active to a passive to a passive construction. Note than an agent (by
them, etc) is not required.
1. Someone must do the job.
2. They have just opened a new hospital here.
3. They make these machines in Japan.
4. They’re going to build a motorway not far from here.
5. Someone delivered the letters safely.
6. They’re considering your application for the job.
7. They won’t announce the name of the new managing director until next month.
8. They haven’t manufactured this kind of lock for years.
9. You can make orange paint by mixing red and yellow.
10. They might sell the house before we get there.
11. No one will ever forget his work.
12. No one asked you to come.

61.- CHANGES IN YOUR TOWN (DESCRIBING A PLACE: THE PRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE).

Belcombe used to be an unspoilt village on the south coast of England, but you wouldn’t
recognise it now. They’ve developed it as a tourist resort – and they’ve completely
destroyed its old atmosphere. They’ve pulled down the picturesque old cottages by the
harbour, and they’ve built a hideous luxury hotel there instead. They’ve widened and
resurfaced all the old cobbled streets, and they’ve cut down the trees in the village
square, and put a car park there. Even the old village shop isn’t there any more –
they’ve turned it into one of those awful cafés where everything seems to be made of
plastic, and they’ve put a big sign outside saying ‘Ye Olde Tea Shoppe’.

The passage tells you what they have done to the village. Instead, we could talk about what has happened to the
village.
Example: They’ve developed the village as a tourist resort. The village has been developed as a tourist resort.
Use the Passive to talk about the other changes in the village.
1. The atmosphere of the village…
2. The old cottages…
3. A luxury hotel…
4. The streets…
5. The trees in the square…
6. A car park….
7. The village shop…
8. A sign saying ‘Ye Olde Tea Shoppe’…
 14

62.- The two pictures below show how a street has changed.
Work in pairs. Ask each other what has happened to everything. Answer using the passive.
Example: A: What’s happened to the shop?
B: It’s been pulled down and a garage has been built there instead.

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