PASSIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

The patterns of Passive Voice:

ACTIVE VOICE	PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Present: SA  +  VI  + O                             SB      VS I eat rice three times a day He writes letters every week	SA  +  to be  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O SB Rice is eaten by me three times a day Letters are written by him every week
Simple Past: S  +  VII/ed  +  O He drank wine yesterday We bought flowers last week	S  +  was/were  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O Wine was drunk by him yesterday Flowers were bought by us last week
Present Cont: S  +  to be  +  V-ing  +  O She is washing her clothes now They are looking at a painting right now	S  +  to be  +  being  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O Her clothes are being washed by her now A painting is being looked at by them right now
Past Cont: S  +  was/were  +  V-ing  +  O It was drawing a carriage last night I was doing the home work two weeks ago	S  +  was/were  +  being  +  VIII/ed  + by + O A carriage was being drawn by it last night The home work was being done by me two weeks ago
Present Perfect: SA  +  have  +  VIII/ed  + O                             SB       has The police have arrested the criminal The cook has made some cakes	SA +  have  +  been  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O SB The criminal has been arrested by the police  Some cakes have been made by the cook
Past Perfect: S  +  had  + VIII/ed  +  O The doctor had examined the patients The nurses had assisted the doctors	S  +  had  +  been  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O The patients had been examined by the doctor The doctors had been assisted by the nurses
Present Future: S  +  Modal  +  VI  +  O Simple Modal           (present) Mother will sew my dress tomorrow A bank may give loans to customers	S  +  Modal  + be  +  VIII/ed  +  by  +  O         (present) My dress will be sewn by mother tomorrow Loans may be given to customers by a bank
Past Future: S  +  Modal  +  VI  +  O Past Modal           (past) Father could see a ghost last night Uncle might repair a computer yesterday	S + Modal + be + VIII/ed + by + O       (past) A ghost could be seen by father last night A computer might be repaired by uncle

A. Change the following sentences into Passive

01. Waitresses and waiters serve customers

02. The teacher is going to explain the lesson

03. Bill will invite Anne to the party

04. Two horses were pulling the farmer’s wagon

05. Mr. Jones manages the export division

The answers:

01. Customers are served by waitresses and waiters

02. The lesson is going to be explained by the teacher

03. Anne will be invited to the party by Bill

04. The farmer’s wagon were being pulled by two horses

05. The export division is managed by Mr. Jones

PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION

I. Complete the following passive voice sentences in the tenses suggested

01. This picture (always admire). – Present

02. His leg (hurt) in an accident. – Past

03. This exercise (do) very carefully. – Present Continuous

04. The box (not open) for the last hundred years. – Present Perfect

05. The Tower of London (formerly use) as a prison. - Past

06. Two of my dinner plates (break). – Present Perfect

07. A big battle (fight) here 200 years ago. - Past

08. You (invite) to lunch tomorrow. – Present Perfect

09. This play (forget) in a few years’ time. - Future

10. The bridge (build) last year. - Past

11. My brother (never beat) at tennis. – Present Perfect

12. English (speak) all over the world. - Present

13. Any questions (ask) about me? - Past

14. The answers must (write) on one side of the paper only. - Infinitive

15. These books must (not take away). - Infinitive

16. I (punish) for something I didn’t do. - Past

17. Milk (use) for making butter and cheese. - Present

18. You (want) to help lay the table. – Present

19. A pupil (praise) when he works hard. – Present

20. The stolen car (find) in another town. – Present Perfect

21. Hats and coats must (leave) in the cloakroom. – Infinitive

22. The piano (play) far too loudly. – Past Continuous

23. The matter (discuss) tomorrow. - Future

24. Progress (make) every day in the world of science. – Present

25. The chickens (not feed) this morning. - Past

26. Some ink (spill) on the carpet. – Present Perfect

27. She said that some ink (spill) on her carpet. – Past Perfect

28. Not a sound (hear). - Past

29. This door can (easily mend). – Infinitive

30. What (do) about this? – Present Perfect

31. The door (already shut). – Present Perfect

32. Your question (answer)? – Present Perfect

33. The book (finish) next month? - Future

34. He saw that the table (push) into the corner. – Past Perfect

35. The article (beautiful write). – Present Perfect

 

II. Put the following sentences into passive voice with a personal subject

01. They gave my little sister a ticket

02. People will show the visitors the new buildings

03. Someone has already paid the electrician for his work

04. They promise us higher wages

05. Somebody will tell you what time the train leaves

06. Someone ordered the prisoners to stand up

07. Somebody recommended me to another doctor

08. Someone taught him French and gave him a dictionary

09. They will allow each boy a second plate of ice-cream

10. The authorities refused Cyril a passport

11. They will ask us all several questions

12. When we first met, they had already offered me a job at the bank

13. Someone will read you another chapter next time

14. They requested the stranger to leave the meeting

15. This is the third time they have written to us about this

16. They will deny women the right to vote in some countries

17. They have made my uncle a captain

18. They asked the rest of us to be there at eight o’clock

19. The others told the new students where to sit

20. Someone is showing Maisie how to bath a baby

III. Put the following sentences into Passive Voice

01. She showed the visitors the new baby

02. Someone asked the student a very difficult question

03. We must look into this matter

04. People speak well of my friend Cyril

05. They told her to be quick

06. Someone reads to the old lady every evening

07. Somebody told the students to wait outside

08. Someone promised me a bicycle if I passed my examination

09. You must work for success

10. Somebody gave her a box of chocolates for her birthday

11. I told Cyril never to come here again

12. They gave me 10p (ten pence) change at the shop

13. She promised him a book

14. It is time they brought the cows in

15. They told me to go away

16. Nobody has slept in that room for years

17. She will look after the little girl well

18. A car ran over our dog.

19. The teacher promised Mary a prize if she worked well

20. A friend told me the news this morning.

21. Unkind remarks easily upset Maisie.

22. Somebody must finish the work

23. Nobody can repair this broken vase

24. What ought we to do about this?

25. What questions did the examiner set?

26. People play football all over the world

27. Nobody has made any mistakes

28. Beethoven composed this piece

29. A guide pointed out the Pyramids to me.

30. Somebody has left the gate open, and so the horses have run away

31. Somebody must do something for these poor men

32. She fell into the water because somebody pushed her

33. People will simply laugh at you for your trouble

34. They carried her into the house

35. They showed me a beautiful drawing

36. Nobody has answered my question properly

37. They left the wounded behind

38. Somebody has brought this child up very badly

39. They didn’t tell me the truth about the situation

40. They asked Maisie why she went about with a silly person like me!

IV. Put the following sentences into Passive Voice

01. Somebody has found the boy the people wanted

02. People ought not to speak about such things in public

03. The wind blew his hat down the street

04. They will take her to hospital tomorrow

05. The police gave me $5 reward.

06. An unseen hand opened the window.

07. They will send Cyril to prison

08. People should make lessons more interesting for children

09. They had eaten all the dinner before they finished the conversation

10. Somebody left the light on all night

11. We shall lock the house up for the summer and the old gardener will look after it

12. No one can answer your question

13. Somebody has spilt tea all over the tablecloth

14. His brother just beat John in the 100-yards race

15. Has someone mended that chair yet?

16. Nobody has ever spoken to me like that before

17. A friend lent me this book

18. We have asked some friends of hers to join us

19. People talked about Maisie all over the town

20. They will give you the answer next week

21. Didn’t they tell you to be here by six o’clock?

22. I’d like someone to read to me

23. You must not throw away empty bottles

24. No one has drunk out of this glass

25. The stone struck him in the right shoulder.

26. The fire destroyed many valuable paintings.

27. Someone blew a whistle three times

28. A huge wave overturned the little boat

29. He finished his work by eight o’clock

30. Ladies used to wear their dresses very long

31. The maid washed the floor only this morning

32. Lions attacked the travelers.

33. Someone has stolen my collection of stamps

34. I have sharpened the knives

35. The same man mended your shoes.

36. They built two new houses last year

37. They sent letters of thanks to all their friends

38. We ate up all the biscuits yesterday

39. People will laugh at you if you wear that silly hat

40 People were carrying the chairs out into the garden

41. His friends gave him a cake for his birthday

42. They took photographs after the ceremony

43. I hate people looking at me

44. Do you intend us to take your remark seriously?

45. The police ought to put you in prison

46. They turned my offer down

47. This is a good idea, but one cannot carry it out in practice

48. People shan’t speak to me as if I were a child

49. Somebody has eaten all the food in the house and drunk all the wine

50. Somebody has locked the box and I cannot open it