ACTIVE PASSIVE

We use the active when the subject of the
sentence does the action:
They are building new houses in the town.
Jenny is reading a newspaper.
The fire killed a lot of animals.
George Orwell wrote a lot of books.
We use the passive when the person who does
something is not known or not important.
New houses are being built.
Animals are killed every year by fires.
If the person is interesting or important we use
by + the person after the passive verb.
The book was written by George Orwell.

1. William Shakespeare ______________ (baptize) on 26th April 1564. He was an English poet
and playwright who _____________ (regard) as the greatest writer in the English language. He
_______________ (often/call) England’s national poet. His surviving works ____________ (consist)
of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and several other poems. His plays
______________ (translate) into every major living language and _______________ (perform)
more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18 he ___________ (marry)
Anne Hathaway and they _______ (have) three children: Susanna, Hamnet and Judith who ______
(be) twins. Between 1585 and 1592, he __________ (begin) a successful career in London as an
actor, writer and part owner of a playing company which ____________ (call) the Lord Chamberlain’s
Men and which _________________ (later/know) as the King’s Men. He ____________ (retire) to
Stratford around 1613 where he ____________ (die) three years later.

2. “Jack the Ripper” is the name which ______________ (give) to an unidentified serial killer
who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in
1888. The name _______________ (originate) in a letter which ______________ (write) by
someone claiming to be the murderer. The letter ____________ (believe) to be a hoax and may
___________ (write) by a journalist in an attempt to heighten interest in the story. The “Ripper”
__________ (attack) female prostitutes from the slums whose throats ___________ (cut) prior to
abdominal mutilations. Rumours that the murders _____________ (connect) intensified in
September and October 1888 and letters from people purporting to be the murderer
_____________ (receive) by media outlets and Scotland Yard. There are now over one hundred
theories about the Ripper’s identity and the murders ______________ (inspire) multiple works of
fiction.

3. John Lennon was born on the 9th October 1940. He _____ (be) an English musician and singer-
songwriter who __________ (rise) to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The
Beatles. With Paul McCartney he __________ (form) one of the most successful songwriting
partnerships of the 20th century. John Lennon was born and raised in Liverpool and he ___________
(become) involved as a teenager in the Skiffle Craze; his first band. The group “The Beatles”
_____________ (create) in 1960. Towards the end of the decade Lennon ____________ (embark)
on a solo career and then in 1975 ______________ disengage) himself from the music business to
devote time to his family, but _____________ (come) back in 1980 with a new album. He
_______________ (murder) three weeks after its release.
KEY

1. William Shakespeare was baptized on 26th April 1564. He was an English

poet and playwright who was regarded as the greatest writer in the English
language. He is often called England’s national poet. His surviving works
consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and several
other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language
and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18

he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children: Susanna, Hamnet
and Judith who were twins. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful
career in London as an actor, writer and part owner of a playing company
which was called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and which was later known as
the King’s Men. He retired to Stratford around 1613 where he died three
years later.

2. “Jack the Ripper” is the name which was given to an unidentified serial killer
who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the
Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter
which was written by someone claiming to be the murderer. The letter is
believed to be a hoax and may have been written by a journalist in an
attempt to heighten interest in the story. The “Ripper” attacked female
prostitutes from the slums whose throats were cut prior to abdominal
mutilations. Rumours that the murders were connected intensified in
September and October 1888 and letters from people purporting to be the
murderer were received by media outlets and Scotland Yard. There are now
over one hundred theories about the Ripper’s identity and the murders have
inspired multiple works of fiction.

3. John Lennon was born on the 9th October 1940. He was an English musician
and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding
members of The Beatles. With Paul McCartney he formed one of the most
successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. John Lennon was
born and raised in Liverpool and he became involved as a teenager in the
Skiffle Craze; his first band. The group “The Beatles” was created in 1960.
Towards the end of the decade Lennon embarked on a solo career and then
in 1975 disengaged himself from the music business to devote time to his
family, but came back in 1980 with a new album. He was murdered three
weeks after its release.