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Passive Voice

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1. Active or Passive?

1 I ate a piece of chocolate cake.

2 The librarian read the book to the students.

3 The money was stolen.

4 They are paid on Fridays.

5 The movie is being made in Hollywood.

6 I washed my car three weeks ago.

7 His hair was cut by a professional.

8 I will introduce you to my boss this week.

9 It would have been fixed on the weekend.

1
The national anthem is being sung by Jason this time.
0

2. Turn the following Active sentences into the Passive. Use the agent only in important cases.

1. They make shoes in that factory.

Shoes in that factory.

2. People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.

Bicycles in the driveway.

3. They built that skyscraper in 1934.

That skyscraper in 1934.

4. The students will finish the course by July.


The course by July.

5. They are repairing the streets this month.

The streets this month.

6. They make these tools of plastic.

These tools of plastic.

7. They have finished the new product design.

The new product design .

8. They were cooking dinner when I arrived.

Dinner when I arrived.

9. Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.

'Red Sunset' in 1986 by Smithers.

10. Did the plan interest you?

in the plan?

11. They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.

The preparations by the time the guests arrived.

12. You should take care when working on electrical equipment.

Care when working on electrical equipment.

13. They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

14. Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

Japanese at the meeting.

15. Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.


The refreshments by Karen.

3. Put in the correct form of the verb in Passive into the gaps. Use the verb and the tense given
in brackets.

Example:
A letter __________ by Peter. (to write - Simple Present)

Answer:
A letter is written by Peter.

1) The words by the teacher today. (to explain - Simple Present)


2) We a letter the day before yesterday. (to send - Simple Past)
3) This car . It's too old. (not/to steal - will-future)
4) This street because of snow. (already/to close - Present Perfect)
5) A new restaurant next week. (to open - will-future)
6) He to the party yesterday. (to invite - Simple Past)
7) The blue box . (can/not/to see - Simple Present)
8) I the book by my friend last Sunday. (to give - Simple Past)
9) The dishes by my little brother. (not/to wash - Present Perfect)
10) I by Robert. (not/to ask - will-future)

4. Rewrite the given sentences in Passive voice. Sometimes there are two possible answers (two
objects in the active sentence). Do not use contracted/short forms.

Example:
Tim gave Lisa some flowers.
_______________________

Answer:
Some flowers were given to Lisa by Tim. or
Lisa was given some flowers by Tim.

1) They don't speak English in this shop.


.
2) Kevin asked Dennis a question.
.
3) Somebody built the house last year.
.
4) She gives him a box.
.
5) Max will look after him.
.
6) The waiter brought Fred a big steak.
.
7) Somebody broke into our bungalow last Friday.
.
8) The teacher told us a joke.
.
9) They will meet Doris at the station.
.
10) Michael has not sent me a text message.

5. Decide whether the sentences are written in Active or Passive

They listen to music.


She is reading an e-mail.
These cars are produced in Japan.
Alan teaches Geography.
German is spoken in Austria.
Lots of houses were destroyed by the earthquake.
Henry Ford invented the assembly line.
The bus driver was hurt.
You should open your workbooks.
Houses have been built.

Boys like to play soccer.


This room has been painted blue.
Cricket is played in Australia.
I am given a book.
We have lost our keys.
You might see dolphins here.
The report must be completed by next Friday.
They were singing a song.
A letter was written to her.
The bike is being repaired.

6. Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice.

Example:
Peter writes a letter.
_________________

Answer:
A letter is written. or
A letter is written by Peter.

1) Julia rescued three cats.


.
2) The students handed in the reports.
.
3) Maria crashed into the blue car.
.
4) Alex learned the poem.
.
5) Steven has forgotten the book.
.
6) The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder.
.
7) They play handball.
.
8) Sue puts the rucksack on the floor.
.
9) The girls had lost the match.
.
10) The teacher is not going to open the window.

7. Choose the correct answer:


1. I'm going to have Mike ________ my computer to see what is wrong.
look at
to look at
looked at

2. One of my wisdom teeth really hurt, so I went to the dentist ________.


to have it remove
to have it removed
to have it to be removed

3. Are you going to ________ like this?


let him to suffer
allow him suffer
let him suffer

4. Jimmy is dead. The mafia boss ________.


had killed
had him killed
had him to be killed

5. Julie will not ________ the boy from across the street.
let her daughter marry
let her daughter to marry
let her daughter married

6. I had the ________ when I was renovating my apartment.


wall to be knocked down
wall knocked down
wall knock down

7. I ________ her and apologize.


made him to call
made him called
made him call

8. I have ________ many times.


my heart broken
had my heart broken
had my heart broke

9. The authorities ________ as soon as they found out she was there illegally.
had her deported
have her deport
had her to be deported

10. I ________ on my lower back.


had tattoo done
had a tattoo done
had a tattoo to be done

8. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct passive form.

1 Holland …is said…. (say) to be one of the prettiest countries in Europe.

2 I hate (tell) ……. lies.

3 My television (deliver) ……. tomorrow.

4 Their telephone …….. (install) yesterday.

5 Teachers ought (pay) …….. a higher salary.

6 Hotel rooms must (vacate) ……. by 12 noon.

7 The villa (sell) ……. by public auction next week.

S She hopes her home (build) ……. by May.

9 Heartbreak House (write) ……. by George Bernard Shaw.

10 My car (respray)……. at the moment.

11 Hopefully, she (promote) …….. by the end of next month.

12 I wish I (teach) ……. how to type when I was at school.

13 Your application should (hand in) ……. last Monday. It’s too late now I’m afraid!

14 The wedding reception must (book) ……. a month before the wedding.

15 The building (evacuate) ……. ten minutes before the explosion took place.

9. Change the sentences from the active into the passive. Omit the agent where it can be omitted.

1 Santa Claus will leave your presents in the stocking


…. Your presents will be left in the stocking by Santa Claus …
2 Bad organisation spoiled their holiday .

3 Teachers mark hundreds of exam papers every year .

4 Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?

5 You should dry your hair before you go out.

6 You mustn’t tell him the truth .

7 She likes people taking her to the theatre .

8 Why didn’t they give her the job?

9 She told them not to tell anyone

10 They should have given us a bonus

11 The doctors will bring him in for an examination

12 Fog has delayed all flights

13 She didn’t send me any parcels

14 She had cleaned the house before I got there

15 When we arrived at the hotel. they had filled all the rooms

16 Why haven’t you invited Mary to the party?

17 Paula will help you finish your project.

18 The mayor is opening the new community centre next week

19 We heard her complaining strongly to the manager

20 You can leave your bags at the left-luggage office

21 Workmen found some antique vases in the old house

22 The architects have drawn up plans for the new library

23 Who gave him the new car?

24 They are going to set the lion free next week

25 What time do you expect him to arrive?


10. Change the sentences from the passive into the active.

1 Who was the Mona Lisa painted by?


.. Who painted the Mona Lisa? ..

2 The old barn has been pulled down

3 The results will be published in July

4 The trip was ruined by bad weather

5 The letter should have been posted last week

6 Who was the money raised by?

7 Why hasn’t the house been painted yet?

8 She was heard shouting

9 How much were you paid?

10 His car has been stolen

11 I can’t bear being cheated

12 A famous actress will be chosen to advertise the product

13 John was made to do the washing up

14 The ozone layer is gradually being destroyed by pollution

15 A bring-and-buy sale is being held next month

16 Our house was done up by a famous interior decorator

17 The cracks in the wall were caused by the earthquake

18 Thousands of rare birds are killed by hunters every year

19 Her purse was stolen on the bus

20 When will we be told the time of his arrival?

21 An ancient village has been uncovered by archaeologists

22 Why hasn’t the dishwasher been repaired yet?


23 A new drug is being developed by scientists

24 A new breed of cow is to be introduced into the country by farmers

25 The furniture will have been removed by noon

26 Who were you going to be replaced by?

27 The island is being ruined by tourists

28 Two rooms had been booked for her by her travel agent

29 She was seen to leave the building

30 Seats should have been reserved a week ago

11. Fill in “by” or “with”.

1 The Magus was written … by….. John Fowles.

2 Who was the radio invented ………..?

3 The cyclist was knocked down …………….a bus

4 Soup is eaten …………a spoon.

5 The car was fixed ………..a mechanic.

6 The glass was cut ……..a special tool.

7 Her hair is coloured ………..henna.

S “Born in the USA” was sung ……….Springsteen.

9 The roast was flavoured ………… wine.

10 Music will be played ……… the local band.

12. Change into the passive.

A
Police are investigating a series of break-ins in the Hattersby area. Residents have heard noises, but
nobody has actually seen anything suspicious. The recent rise in crime in the neighbourhood has
shocked residents. Locals are discussing matters of security with the police and they have requested
greater police presence in the area .

… A series of break-ins …

B
A wealthy businessman has just bought the Black Swan Hotel. The Barrett family owned it for
many years, and they should have restored the building many years ago, but they couldn’t find
enough money. The new owner is closing the hotel for a few months for redecoration. At the
moment workmen are polishing the floors and redecorating all the rooms.

14. Turn the following sentences into the passive as in the example:

1 They think he is lying.

He … is thought to be lying ….

It … is………. thought that he is lying ….

2 They believe he got lost in the forest.

He ………………………………….
It …………………………………..

3 They say she has been very ill.

She ………………………….

It ……………………………..

4 They said the president had been shot.

The president …………………………..

It …………………………………………

5 They believe she was taking drugs.

She . …………………………………….

It …………………………………………
6 They expect he will pass his driving test.

He ………………………………………

It ……………………………………….

7 They said she was wrongly accused.

She ………………………………………

It ………………………………………..

8 They believe he is leaving soon.

He ………………………………………..

It …………………………………………

9 They say his health is very poor.

His health ……………………………….

It …………………………………………

10 They report that some papers have been stolen.

Some papers ……………………………

It …………………………………………

15. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.

1 Many people believe that eating too fast causes indigestion.


believed
It … is believed that eating … too fast causes indigestion.

2 The teacher will send you out if you keep on talking.

be
You ………………………………if you keep on talking.

3 They are going to transfer him to Portugal.

be
He ……………………………………….. to Portugal.
4 They will have completed the construction by September.

been
The ……………………………………..by September.

5 They are holding the caretaker responsible for the problems.

is
The ………………………………for the problems.

6 A journalist is going to cover the story.

be
The story …………………………. by a journalist.

7 They will have appointed a new director by the end of the week.

been
A new ………………………….by the end of the week.

8 They gave him a gold watch when he retired.

was
He ………………………………..when he retired.

9 The mother told her son off for shouting.

was
He ……………………………..by his mother for shouting.

10 They are opening the new restaurant this evening.

is
The new restaurant ………………………. this evening.

16. Rewrite the following text in the passive.

Mr Owen Gibbon has discovered a valuable oil painting in the attic of his house in Rochester.
George Stubbs, the famous animal artist, painted the work in 1760. Mr Gibbon’s great-grandfather
bought the picture in the 1890′s, but after his death the family stored it away in the attic. Art
historians are examining the painting, and have valued it at £500,000. Mr Gibbon has offered the
work to the National Gallery, where experts will restore the picture to its former beauty. They will
have finished the restoration work by June.
17. Rewrite the following texts in the passive.

A
The Winter Production Company has finally released the film which the public has been waiting for
for so long: The Hawk. The Winter Company was originally going to release the film in August but
they decided to wait until October, as they know that fewer people go to the cinema in the summer.
Richard Able directed The Hawk and critics are encouraging people to see it. Cinemas report that
British audiences have bought a lot of tickets and that they are sure The Hawk will be a success.

B
Over the past ten years oil spills have polluted the seas surrounding Britain. The tankers spill oil
onto the coast and this harms many forms of wildlife. Environmentalists say that they need a lot of
volunteers if they are to minimise the damage. In future, the government has promised that it will
prosecute the owners of any tankers that pollute the North Sea in this way. The government also
hopes that they can prevent such incidents by building more lighthouses along the coastline.
18 Write the sentences in the causative as in the example:

1 Their wedding reception was organised by caterers .

.. .They had their wedding reception organised by caterers ….

2 I’ll ask her to make the appointment for Friday .

3 He was mending the table for Sophie .

4 He took his boots to be re-heeled .

5 Has your leg been X-rayed? .

6 I will tell James to cancel the meeting tomorrow .

7 Don’t ask them to post the letters .

8 I’ll get the men to move this for you by this evening .

9 The mechanic is repairing her car .

10 They renovated the Smiths’ house last year .

11 They are going to clean our swimming pool.

12 Where do they take their photographs to be developed?

13 He doesn’t mind the barber cutting his hair short

14 You should ask someone to water your plants while you’re on holiday .

15 Will she get someone to deliver the computer?

16 She prefers sending her clothes to the dry-cleaner’s .

17 My father likes people taking his photograph .

18 Our cooker was being repaired when the lights went off .

19 Would you like someone to do the shopping for you?


20 The beautician polished the model’s nails .

19. Write sentences in the causative as in the example:

1 The doctor examined Paul’s ankle. What did Paul do?


……He had his ankle examined ….

2 Someone delivers her groceries once a week. What does she do?

3 A hairdresser has cut and styled Pamela’s hair. What has she done?

4 Someone will repair our leaking roof. What will we do?

5 Someone cut the lawn for them while they were away. What did they do?

6 Somebody had serviced their car before they went on holiday. What had they done?

7 A builder will do up Jan’s attic. What will Jan do?

8 Someone is designing some furniture for him. What is he doing?

9 A detective investigated the case for her. What did she do?

10 Someone has written the actor’s life story for him. What has he done?

11 Someone is organising a birthday party for her. What is she doing?

12 The secretary had prepared the minutes for him before the meeting. What had he done?

13 He was building their swimming pool. What were they doing?

14 He had someone paint his daughter’s portrait. What did he do?

20. Rephrase the following using have, get or make as in the example:

1 She insisted that they go to the meeting


…. She made them go to the meeting ………..

2 We are going to ask the plumber to install a new shower .

3 We persuaded Paul to lend us some money .

4 The teacher asked Sam to open the window .

5 The dentist insisted that George sit still.


6 Mrs Jones will ask the attendant to fetch her car.

7 The doctor persuaded her to go to hospital.

8 My brother insisted that I give him back his book .

9 She persuaded her friend to help her with the cleaning .

10 We’ll ask the receptionist to give him his key .

11 He insisted on them keeping quiet.

12 My father persuaded me to help him wash his car.

13 Mr Smith insisted that Jane stay late at work .

14 I’ll ask Pam to turn down the radio .

15 Sue persuaded the caretaker to fix the door

21- Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words .

1 The hairdresser will have to cut your hair.

have
You’ll … have to have your hair … cut.

2 A large dog has attacked my cat.

been
My cat …………………………..a large dog.

3 Her mother insisted that she buy a new dress for the party.

her
Her mother ………………………….a new dress for the party.

4 Someone will steal your purse if you don’t look after it.

be
Your purse ……………… if you don’t look after it.

5 Jane insisted that I have some more cake.

made
Jane …………………………..some more cake.
6 They are resurfacing our drive tomorrow.

resurfaced
We ……………………………………….tomorrow.

7 Our furnace will need servicing soon.

have
We will need …………………………………soon.

8 Someone cleans my house every week.

have
I ………………………………………….every week.

9 How did he persuade you to do it?

get
How ………………………………… do it?

10 She got a friend to make her an evening dress.

made
She …………………………………..by a friend.

11 Their house had been burgled when I last saw them.

had
They ……………………………..when I last saw them.

12 I asked my parents to pay for my flight home.

had
I ……………………………. for my flight home.

13 Hooligans attacked Barney outside the stadium.

got
Barney …………………………outside the stadium.

14 She doesn’t like ironing so the cleaner does it for her.

done
She doesn’t like ironing so …………………..by the cleaner.

15 He arranged for a friend to bring his books over from England.


had
He ………………………………………from England.

22.- Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.

1 Lucy persuaded Andrew to take her out to dinner.

got
Lucy … got Andrew to take her … out to dinner.

2 Our heater needs repairing.

have
We’ll ……………………………………….repaired

3 A beautician does her nails every week.

done
She ………………………………….. by a beautician every week.

4 The dentist is extracting her tooth now.

extracted
She …………………………………………….now.

5 I’ll ask Mark to fetch my laundry.

have
I ………………………………………….my laundry.

6 His car was badly damaged in an accident.

had
He . …………………………..in an accident.

7 The shopkeepers were forced to work on Christmas Eve.

made
The shopkeepers ……………………………on Christmas Eve.

8 He got someone at the office to send the fax.

sent
He ……………………………………… by someone at the office.

9 She insisted that we come home early.


made
We ………………………………………………early.

10 Someone had dented her car when she came out of the shop.

had
She …………………………….when she came out of the shop.

11 They can get someone to groom the dog next week.

have
They can ……………………………….next week.

12 He used to pay someone to do his accounts once a month.

done
He used ……………………………….once a month.

13 Why did he insist that I buy this dress?

make
Why ……………………………this dress?

14 Did he ask the nurse to dress the wound?

get
Did he ………………………………..the wound?

15 The boxer broke his arm in a fight.

broken
The boxer …………………………… in a fight.

16 I must have someone look at this painting – it might be valuable.

looked
I must ……………………………it might be valuable.

17 The contract will have been drawn up for you by the time you get back.

had
We will ………………………up for you by the time you get back.

18 The police ordered him to tell them what had happened.

made
The police ………………………what had happened.
19 Margery dealt with the new client for him.

got
He ………………… the new client for him.

23.- Find the word which should not be in the sentence.

1 She has been had her house repainted.

2 Did he make you to stay at home?

3 He was been knighted for his service to the country.

4 Liz has had her hair be done.

5 The bankrobbers were been arrested at the airport yesterday.

6 The pictures they were donated to the gallery by the Queen.

7 She did got him to cook dinner for her.

8 He was been stopped at customs.

9 Charlotte had Bill to mend her TV.

10 The symphony was being written by Sibelius.

11 Could you have someone to repair the fax machine?

12 He paid a lot to have had the engine rebuilt.

13 They have their taxes be done by an accountant.

14 The goods will have be shipped to you tomorrow.

15 He likes to having his autograph asked for.

16 Those faxes have to be had sent today.

17 They have had central heating installed last Monday.

18 Jo was been given a beautiful necklace for Christmas.

19 All the windows were being broken in last night’s explosion.

20 She had her nose be broken while playing cricket.

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