Grammar 4.

Passive - Active

Unit 1. Task 1 – Line graph

Passive - Active

Theory
Active Voice Passive Voice
Structure S+V+O S + be + Vpp
Usage To describe things in general. There When the object is more important than
is one (or more than one) subject, one the subject.
verb and one (or more than one) Helps express ideas in a less personal
object in a clause. way.

Passive Voice
Tense/Form of Verb Form of “To be”
Present simple S + am/is/are + Vpp
Present continuous S + am/is/are + being + Vpp
Present perfect S + has/have + been + Vpp
Past simple S + was/were + Vpp
Past perfect S + had + been + Vpp
Future simple S + will + be + Vpp
Be going to S + is/are going to + be + Vpp
Modal verb S + modal verb + be + Vpp

Practice
Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer.
1. A letter to aunt Molly …………… a few hours ago.
A. has been sent B. is sent C. was sent
2. Grandpa ………….. by his grandson, Brian.
A. is often helped B. is often helping C. often is helped
3. Homework …………… by the students yesterday.
A. wasn’t done B. wasn’t made C. hasn’t been done
4. The whole milkshake ……………... by Alan.

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A. have been drunk B. has been drank C. has been drunk
5. The morning newspaper ……………… yet.
A. hasn’t been read B. has been read C. wasn’t read
6. Some huge fish ………………. by my friend.
A. has been caught B. have been caught C. have caught
7. Stamps ……………… by my dad when he was a boy.
A. have been collected B. is collected C. were collected
8. ……………… the phone ………………… by you when I call?
A. Was – answered B. Will – be answered C. Has – been answered
9. The carpet ………………. at the weekend.
A. will be vacuum B. will be vacuumed C. will be vacummed
10. The dog ……………….. for a walk three times today.
A. has taken B. have be taken C. has been taken

Exercise 2. Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice.

1. The waiter brings me this dish.
This dish ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Our friends send these postcards to us.
These postcards …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Their grandmother told them this story when they visited her last week.
They ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. Tim ordered this train ticket for his mother.
This train ticket …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. She showed her ticket to the airline agent.
Her ticket ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. Jim baked this cake yesterday.
This cake ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. They are going to buy a new apartment next year.
A new apartment ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. The shop assistant handed these boxes to the customer.
The customer ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. The board awarded the first prize to the reporter.
The first prize ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
10. Have you sent the Christmas cards to your family?
……………………. the Christmas cards ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Exercise 3. Choose the correct word or phrase.
1. The prime minister was / has criticized for his recent actions.
2. When I walked past the Wilsons’ house, their new sofa was / has being delivered.
3. Our teacher was / has told us to take our favourite book to school tomorrow.
4. I think my mobile was / has been stolen!
5. Jonathan was / has chosen to play the lead role in the school play.
6. I’m sleeping downstairs because my bedroom is being painted / has been painting.
7. This picture was/ has probably taken during the winter.
8. Your essays must be / have handed in on Friday morning.
9. Someone was / has left their wallet on the floor.
10. Did you hear about the bank being / having robbed?
11. “Treasure Island” was / has written by Robert Louis Stevenson.
12. It was a real shock when my dad was / has fired from his job.
13. The Vikings had visited America before it was / has discovered by Columbus.
14. When we got to the airport, we learned that out flight was / had been delayed.
15. Was / Has your ticket for the concert tomorrow paid by you or your parents?

Exercise 4. Make passive sentences using the word parts and the given tense.
1. The window / open. (present perfect)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. He / take / to the airport. (present perfect)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. The bike / repair / at the moment. (present continuous)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. The cows / feed / every morning. (present simple)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The novel / write / a hundred years ago. (past simple)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. The food / must put / in the fridge. (present simple)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. A press conference / hold / tomorrow afternoon. (future simple)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. The thief / see / by the police. (past perfect)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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9. The story / often tell / by grandmother. (present simple)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. The church / not renovate / for two hundred years. (present perfect)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 5. Fill in each blank with the suitable form of verb in active and passive voice.

The first diagram 1. …………………………….… (illustrate) the process of cement manufacture, and
the second diagram 2. ………………………………… (show) the materials that go into the production of
concrete.

It is clear that there are five stages in the production of cement, beginning with the input of
raw materials and ending with bags of the finished product. To produce concrete, four
different materials 3. ……………………..………… (mix) together.

At the first stage in the production of cement, limestone and clay 4. ……………………………… (crush)
to form a powder. This powder 5. ………………………………… (then/ mix) before it passes into a
rotating heater. After heating, the resulting mixture 6. …………………………………… (grind), and
cement 7. …………………………………. (produce). Finally, the cement 8. ……………………………………
(package) in large bags.

Cement is one of the four raw materials that 9. ………………………………… (use) in the production of
concrete, along with gravel, sand and water. To be exact, concrete 10. …………………………………
(consist) of 50% gravel, 25% sand, 15% cement and 10% water. All four materials are blended
together in a rotating machine called a concrete mixer.

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Exercise 6. Complete using the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets.
1. The Earth …………………………………………….. (hold) by the gravity of the Sun and orbits around it.
2. The first feature-length comedy film …………………………………………….. (create) by Charlie Chaplin.
3. The award for best video ……………………………………………. (present) later this evening.
4. By the time you read this, I …………………………………………….. (arrest) for murder.
5. I don’t know whether our tests …………………………………………….. (mark) yet or not.
6. Radio waves …………………………………………….. (discover) by Marconi.
7. You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but Jack …………………………………………….. (bully) when
he was at school.
8. Your application …………………………………………….. (consider) and we will let you know as soon as
we’ve made a decision.
9. The roof of the car can …………………………………………….. (lower) by pressing this button.
10. Our tent …………………………………………….. (blow) over in the night by the wind.

Exercise 7. Complete the sentences with the passive form of the verbs below. Use an
appropriate tense.
destroy film perform sell steal upload use

1. Six paintings …………………………………….. from the museum last night.

2. We had to have our choice rehearsal outside yesterday because the school hall
…………………………………. for a meeting.
3. This play ………………… only ………………………….. two or three times in the last fifty years.
4. By the time they put the fire out, most of the opera house ……………………………
5. Millions of photos ……………………………….. to social networking sites every day.
6. When the new art gallery opens next year, the old art gallery ………………………………… to property
developers.
7. They’re halfway through making the film. It ………………………………… in the Middle East.

Exercise 8. Rewrite the following passages in the passive voice.

1. Somebody has stolen a bus from outside the school. Some children saw the thief. The
police are searching for the bus now. They will use the children’s descriptions to catch the
thief.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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2. Some people saw a UFO in the sky above London last night. They reported it to the police.
The army sent a helicopter to look at it closer. The UFO shot the helicopter down and killed
both men in it. People have given photographs of the UFO to the police. Experts are looking at
them now.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. My uncle painted this picture. Someone has offered him a lot of money for it. He will deliver
the painting tomorrow. When they give him the money, he will tell them the truth. He painted
it one night while he was sleepwalking!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 9. Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice.

1. The children can read books.
Books ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Susan has to learn geography.
Geography …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………
3. The dog should bring the bones.
The bones ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Poor people cannot spend a lot of money.
A lot of money ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The pupils must answer a lot of questions.
A lot of questions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. How can we solve that problem?
How …………………………. that problem ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. You must not touch this button while the experiment is in progress.
This button …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. We should call the police at once after the accident.
The police ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Exercise 10. Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice.
1. People say that Bali is a beautiful island.
It ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. People generally think that life won’t be found on Mars.
It ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. It is generally said that Christmas is too commercialized.
Christmas ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. People often argue that prison doesn’t work.
It ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. People have suggested that the school should start to produce a magazine.
It ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. People say that crocodiles taste like squid.
Crocodiles .…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. It is said that the Vikings discovered America before Columbus.
The Vikings ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. People think that heart disease is caused by eating the wrong things.
Heart disease ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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