Passive Voice

1 Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice.

a) I will take the children to the cinema.
b) The girls have prepared this delicious cake.
c) The students wrote these interesting texts about the school trip.
d) The customers have just read the notice.
e) Many people study English at language schools.
f) The Smiths bought the green house.
g) We should give teenagers an opportunity to get a job.
h) Everybody can visit the cathedral from 1 pm to 6 pm.
i) A taxi drove them home.
j) Someone is repairing the damage in our building.
k) Lots of teenagers watch this programme every day.
l) I cant exchange the shoes without a receipt.
m) We must vacate the room by 12 pm.
n) Someone has stolen my car.
o) She was asked about her name and address. (Someone)
p) Educators should tell the students about the harmful influence of popular culture.( The students)
q) The popular commercial culture often shows us negative pictures of the Arabs. (We)
r) They followed more than 10,000 people over 6 years. (More than)
s) Bad sleeping affects productivity and health. (Productivity)
t) The risk takers and visionaries of this agency have expanded human knowledge. (Human knowledge)
u) Somebody has answered the letter. (The letter)
v) People are studying foreign languages (foreign languages)
w) The students will prepare the assignment. (the assignment)
x) They will install a new computer centre in the university. (a new computer centre)
y) A fire is threatening the university library. (the university library)
z) The professors were discussing the problem when we arrived. (the problem)
aa) Many people speak English all over the world. (English)
bb) They received a letter from relatives who live in Paris. (a letter)
cc) In some countries many people use their mobile phones to send e-mail messages. (mobile phones)
dd) Sarah is sending an e-mail. (An e-mail)
ee) They are searching for a criminal. (A criminal)
ff) They reported a cyber crime. (a cyber crime)
gg) They told me about the disaster. (I)
2 - Passive Active:
a) She was helped by her mother. (Her mother)
b) Arab men are seen by the American people as violent terrorists. (The American people)
c) They were told strange news by the foreigners. (the foreigners)
d) They must be explained about the problem. (someone)
e) Students have been taught the Passive Voice. (Teachers)
f) They are being supported by their parents. (their parents)
g) Some diseases are probably caused by cell phones. (Cell phones)
h) Jenny was told about him. (People)
i) The policemen was informed about the case. (Someone)
j) We were helped by the teacher. (the teacher)
k) She will be punished. (they)
l) He can develop new friendships. (new friendships)
3 - Passive with modals
a) I gave him a present.( He)
b) She is reading the textbook.( The textbook)
c) Somebody sent me a card. (I)
d) They can't express their feelings.( Their feelings)
e) People must respect the others. (The others)
f) They could be judged. (People)
g) We can prevent the destruction of old documents. (the destruction of old documents)
h) Living abroad can change our view of the world. (our view of the world)
i) I can send you the assignment later. (You)

Solutions
1 Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice.
a. The children will be taken to the cinema.
b. This delicious cake has been prepared by the girls.
c. These interesting texts about the school trip were written by the students.
d. The notice has just been read by the customers.
e. English is studied (by many people) at language schools (by many people).
f. The green house was bought by the Smiths.
g. Teenagers should be given an opportunity to get a job.
h. The cathedral can be visited from 1 pm to 6 pm.
i. They were driven home by a taxi.
j. The damage in our building is being repaired.
k. This programme is watched (by lots of teenagers) every day (by lots of teenagers).
l. The shoes can't be exchanged without a receipt.
m. The room must be vacated by 12 pm.
n. My car has been stolen.
o. Someone asked about her name and address.
p. The students should be told about the harmful influence of popular culture by educators.
q. We are often showed negative pictures of the Arabs by the popular commercial culture.
r. More than 10,000 people were followed (by them).
s. Productivity and health are affected by bad sleeping.
t. Human knowledge has been expanded by the risk takers and visionaries of this agency.
u. The letter has been answered.
v. Foreign languages are being studied.
w. The assignment will be prepared by the students.
x. A new computer centre will be installed (by them) in the university.
y. The university library is being threaded by a fire.
z. The problem was being discussed by the professors when we arrived.
aa. English is spoken all over the world by many people.
bb. A letter was received from relatives who live in Paris (by them).
cc. Mobile phones are used to send e-mail messages in some countries by many people.
dd. An e-mail is being sent by Sarah.
ee. A criminal is being searched for (by them).
ff. A cyber crime was reported (by them).
gg. I was told about the disaster (by them).

2 - Passive Active:
a) Her mother helped her.
b) The American people see Arab men as violent terrorists.
c) The foreigners told them strange news.
d) Someone must explain them about the problem.
e) Teachers have thought students the Passive Voice.
f) Their parents are supporting them.
g) Cell phones probably cause some diseases.
h) People told Jenny about him.
i) Someone informed the policemen about the case.
j) The teacher helped us.
k) They will be punish her.
l) New friendships can be developed by him.

3 - Passive with modals
a) He was given by me a present.
b) The textbook is being read by her.
c) I was sent a card.
d) Their feelings cant be expressed (by them).
e) The others must be respect.
f) People could judge them.
g) The destruction of old documents can be prevent by us.
h) Our view of the world can be changed by living abroad.
i) You can be sent the

REPORTED SPEECH
I - CHANGE OF TIME AND PLACE REFERENCE

Time/place references are also changed in reported speech
Examples:
"I will see you here tomorrow", she said. She said that she would see me there the next day.

The most common of these changes are shown below:
Today

that day
"I saw him today", she said. She said that she had seen him that day.
Yesterday

the day before
"I saw him yesterday", she said. She said that she had seen him the day before.
The day before yesterday

two days before
"I met her the day before yesterday", he
said.

He said that he had met her two days before.
Tomorrow

the next/following day
"I'll see you tomorrow", he said He said that he would see me the next day.
The day after tomorrow

in two days time/ two days later
"We'll come the day after tomorrow", they
said.

They said that they would come in two days
time/ two days later.
Next week/month/year

the following week/month/year
"I have an appointment next week", she said. She said that she had an appointment the
following week.
Last week/month/year

the previous/week/month/year
"I was on holiday last week", he told us. He told us that he had been on holiday the
previous week.
ago

before
"I saw her a week ago," he said. He said he had seen her a week before.
this (for time)

that
"I'm getting a new car this week", she said.

She said she was getting a new car that week.
this/that (adjectives)

the
"Do you like this shirt?" he asked He asked if I liked the shirt.
here

there
He said, "I live here".

He told me he lived there.
Other changes:
In general, personal pronouns change to the third person singular or plural, except when the speaker
reports his own words:
I/me/my/mine, you/your/yours him/his/her/hers
we/us/our/ours, you/your/yours they/their/theirs:

He said: "I like your new car." He told her that he liked her new car.
I said: "I'm going to my friend's house." I said that I was going to my friend's house.
Type 1 Real Conditions
Very probable +++



Os verbos dados aparecem no Imperativo e/ou Futuro.
Usa-se:
- threats (ameaas)
- promises (promessas)
- warnings (aviso)
- advice (conselho)

Type 2 wishes
Probability ++



Os verbos aparecem no presente.
Se aparecer negativa faz-se afirmativa e vice-versa.

Type 3
Probability 0 (zero)

If + Past Perfect (had+3c.) + Conditional Perfect (would have+3c.) + Could have + 3c.

Usa-se:
- regrets (lamentos)
- sorrous (arrependimentos)






If + Present + Future(will+Inf.)
+ Present (can/may)
If + Past + Conditional (would + Inf.)
+ could/should
1 He is so lazy. Thats why his marks are bad. IF HE WASNT SO LAZY, HIS MARKS WOULDNT BE BAD.
2 She knows about this so she can help us. IF SHE DIDNT KNOW ABOUT THIS, SHE COULDNT HELP US
3 I didnt sleep well. Thats why I came late.
4 Dont do that! Your mother can punish you.
5 Stay with him! He wont be afraid.
6 The world changed because technology revolutionised everything.
7 Sophocles lived in quiet times so he thought time was something gentle.
8 Teenagers dont smoke so much because they have a mobile phone.
9 He felt so badly. Thats why he went home.
10 She was there. Thats why she saw the crime.
11 He has many problems. So he feels depressed.
12 They went to the party; thats why they saw him.
13 The man only stopped bacause a car passed by.
14 Space exploration lifts the national spirit; tahts why Americans choose it.
15 They were disappointed because they met dishonest people.
16 She loves him. Thats why she wants to marry him.
17 He lost his money. He didnt by anything.
18 He became really depressed because his online love turned into a nightmare.




















1 If he wasnt/werent so lazy, his marks wouldnt be bad.
2 If she didnt know about this, she couldnt/wouldnt help us.
3 If I had slept well, I wouldnt have come.
4 If you do that, your mother can punish you.
5 If you stay with him, he wont be afraid.
6 If technology had not revolutionised everything, the world wouldnt have changed.
7 If Sophocles hasnt lived in quiet times, he wouldnt have thought time was something gentle.
8 If teenagers didnt have a mobile phones, they would smoke very much (more).
9 If he hadnt felt so badly, he wouldnt have gone home.
10 If she hadnt been there, she wouldnt have seen the crime.
11 If he didnt have many problems, he wouldnt feel depressed.
12 If they hadnt gone to the party, they wouldnt have seen him.
13 If a car hadnt passed by, the man wouldnt have stopped.
14 If Space exploration didnt lift the national spirit, Americans wouldnt choose it.
15 If they hadnt met dishonest people, they wouldnt have been disappointed.
16 If she didnt love him, she wouldnt want to marry him.
17 If he hadnt lost his money, he would have bought something.
18 If his online love hadnt turned into a nightmare, he wouldnt have become really depressed.

II ACTIVITIES

Use the sites provided here to practise the reported speech. Check all your answers
before going to the next exercise.

1. Use the site http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported2.htm and train the
reported speech.

2. Then go http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported5.htm and practise the
reported commands.

3. Now access http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported6.htm and practise the
reported speech commands in the negative

4. Now its time to practise simple statements in the reported speech. To do it go to
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported1.htm

5. Do the exercise on reported questions you can find in http://www.englisch-
hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported1.htm

6. To finish this activity go to http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported4.htm
and practise the reported speech and the expressions of time.

7. Make up a story in English, using the reported speech / Invente uma histria em Ingls,
usando o discurso indirecto.

8. Save the story and send it to your teacher of English by email, or show your teacher
the printed story.
Grave a sua histria e mande-a ao seu (sua) professor(a) de Ingls por email ou entregue-lhe a
impresso da histria que criou.