THE PASSIVE VOICE

Exercise 1. Identify the passive forms in the following sentences.

Many accidents are caused by dangerous driving.

I’m not often invited to parties.

During the night we were all woken up by a loud explosion.

Look at those old houses. They are being knocked dawn.

The room was being cleaned when I arrived.

Have you ever been bitten by a dog?

I’m not going to the party. I haven’t been invited.

Jim didn’t know about the change of plans. He hadn’t been told.

The new hotel will be opened next year.

George might be sent to America by his company in August.

Go away! I want to be left alone.

Exercise 2. Translate the text. Find and explain the Passive Voice forms.

Many great cities of the world were built hundreds of years ago. During their long history some of them were destroyed several times for one reason or another, and then rebuilt. London, for instance, was burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666. When Napoleon’s army entered Moscow in 1812, the city was nearly empty and in flames. Most of the houses were soon destroyed by the fire, and many were badly damaged. A lot of beautiful cities were left in ruins after the World Wars. Serious damage is done to cities and villages by floods, hurricanes and earthquakes and still more by wars and industrial pollution.

Exercise 3. Find the corresponding idea in the right-hand column.

Exercise 4. Make the sentences passive. Use by... only if it is necessary to say who does / did the action. The first sentence is done for you as an example:

1) Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet". - "Hamlet" was written by Shakespeare.

2) They have arrested her for shoplifting. 3) They are repairing your car now. 4) People in Chile speak Spanish. 5) My mother made this ring. 6) Electricity drives this car. 7) Somebody will tell you where to go. 8) A drunken motorist knocked her down. 9) Liverpool beat Manchester 3-0 yesterday. 10) The Chinese invented paper. 11) They don’t sell stamps in bookshops. 12) The directors are still considering your application. 13) People are using computers in all kinds of work.

Exercise 5. Write passive sentences.

1) Chinese (to speak) in Singapore. 2) The Tower of London (to build) around the 2^nd century 3) The new hospital (to open) next year. 4) She (to interview) now. 5) I realized I (to follow). 6) You (to invite) to Andy’s party? 7) He found that all his money (to steal). 8) These computers (to make) in Korea. 9) Passengers (to ask) not to speak to the driver. 10) Sorry about the noise - the road (to mend). 11) The village church (to born down) last year. 12) A Roman pavement (just find) under Oxford Street.

Exercise 6 Ask as in the model:

- The article isn’t translated.

- Why isn’t it translated?

- The book won’t be published.

- Why won’t it be published?

1) Those questions weren’t asked. 2) The news hasn’t been announced. 3) The things aren’t packed. 4) He won’t be sent there. 5) The document hasn’t been signed. 6) The radio hasn’t been repaired. 7) Her name wasn’t mentioned.

Exercise 7. Now the class is divided into two groups: police detectives and the crime witnesses. The detectives begin to interrogate the witnesses about the crime committed asking questions and using the passive forms. The witnesses answer using the passive forms as well.

Example: Where was the body found? — It was found in the library.

1) Who was the body found by? 2) Was the window broken? 3) Was anything stolen? 4) Was anybody noticed entering the library? 5) What was the victim killed with? 6) Had the body been moved before the police came? 7) Was the library’s door locked? 8) Was the dead man’s will changed?

Exercise 8. Match the parts.

Petrol prices ... a... were killed in the rally

This jacket ... b... have been increased

Five people ... c... has been disconnected

The telephone ... d… is not permitted anywhere on this station

The old town theatre ... e... was made in Hong Kong

It appears the telephone bill ... f... was told to stay inside their homes

Before the storm everyone ... g... bad not been paid

Smoking ... h... is currently being rebuilt

Exercise 9. Transform the sentences to the passive:

They owe a lot of money to the bank.

You can buy videos like this one anywhere.

Someone has to write the history of the European Community one day.

Someone may have already written the history of the European Community.

When we arrived home, we found that someone had broken one of our windows.

They have sold their car to pay their debts.

The manager always welcomes new employees.

They are building a new supermarket near the church.

They fought the battle in i623.

Someone was cleaning the windows while I was there.

Someone has moved my desk!

They are taking the refugees to a camp outside the village.

Someone has singed all the documents before I arrived.

They were questioning us and searching our vehicle at the same time.

They will post our letters when the ship arrives at the next port of call.

They are opening the case again because they’re not satisfied with the verdict.

Have you changed anything?

How soon will they repeat that TV program?

Have you prepared all the documents?

Have the tested all the machines?

What are they building over their?

Exercise 10. Ask questions to the underlined words.

This monument was put up three hundred years ago.

Only one of his books has been translated into Russian.

The meeting was put off, because the day wasn’t convenient for most of the people.

Some pop singers were being interviewed when I switched on the telly.

These contests are held every four year.

Your order will be fulfilled in five days’ time.

Exercise 11. Match the questions with the answers.

Exercise 12. Put in the words in the correct form of the passive.

Don’t enter the room. A student … (to examine) there.

The event … (to report) by the newspapers before they arrived home.

After the accident he … (to take) immediately home.

The letter … (to type) by the typist when I came in.

I am sure that his work … (to complete) by the end of the month.

Some new magazines … just (to bring). Would you like to look them through?

The exercises usually … (to correct) by the teacher at home.

I can’t show you my written work as it … (not/to return) by my teacher.

Many new houses … (to build) in our town lately.

We think that the ship … (to charter) next week.

They will pay the money as soon as the goods … (to deliver).

The goods … (not/to examine) yet at the custom-house.

The question which … (to discuss) now at the conference is very important.

This bridge … (to build) in 1945.

The contract … (to type) before the director comes to the office.

The documents … (not/to sign) by the manager. They … (to check) now.

She … (to frighten) by a long noise in the street.

Exercise 13. Supply suitable active and passive forms in theses sentences using the verbs in brackets. Some variations in tenses may be possible.

It isn’t clear how far the ozone layer (damage) by aerosol sprays. It may be possible to tell whether the hole over the Atlantic (widen) after the area (investigate) by high-flying planes.

These days, even the most remote places on earth (visit) by tourists. Package tours (can/arrange) for almost anywhere, from the Himalayas to the Amazonian Jungle.

Notices such as (English/Speak) and (Shoes/Repair) are common.

We constantly (remind) of the way the world (become) smaller when events taking place in different parts of the globe (flash) on our television screens.

If you (involve) in a car accident and someone (hurt), you (have to) report the matter to the police. If only the vehicles (damage), drivers should exchange names and addresses.

Exercise 14. Imagine you are in a busy hotel at midday. Make sentences to say what is being done, using words from the two boxes according to the following example:

Beds are being done.

Exercise 15. Imagine that, rich and famous, you return to your old home town after fifty years. A lot of things are different. Make sentences, using words from the boxes according to the following example:

The Cafe Royal has been turned into a casino.

Exercise 16. Use ‘It + passive’ (it is believed, it is reported, it is known, it is expected, it is considered, it is alleged) to change these sentences:

Model: It is thought that the Queen of Holland is a vegetarian.

Many people are homeless after the floods.

The Prime Minister is in favour of the new law.

The government will lose the election.

The prisoner escaped by climbing over the wall.

The thieves got in through the kitchen window.

He drove through the town at 90 miles an hour.

Two people were seriously injured in the accident.

Three men were arrested after the explosion.

Use ‘It + passive’ in your own sentences.

Exercise 17. Complete these sentences using one of the following verbs: ‘to arrest, to wake, to knock, to check, to translate, to find, to drive, to make, to spend, to carry’.

A decision will not … until the next meeting.

That building is dangerous. It ought to … down before it falls down.

When you go through Customs, you luggage may … by a customs officer.

I told the hotel receptionist that I wanted to … up at 6.30.

Her new book will probably … into a number of foreign languages.

If you kicked a policeman, you’d ...

Police are looking for the missing boy. He can’t ... anywhere.

Do you think that less money should … on arms?

The injured man couldn’t walk and had to ...

I don’t mind driving but I prefer to … by other people.

Exercise 18. Put the verbs into a suitable tense in the passive.

Mary has just arrived home from work. Neil is already there.

Mary: Hi! I’m back. Sorry, I’m late.

Neil: What kept you?

Mary: I had to use the ring road and I … (stick) in a traffic jam for forty minutes.

Neil: Why didn’t you use the usual route?

Mary: Because the road … (close) until work on the access road to the new hospital ... (complete).

Neil: When is it due to … (finish)?

Mary: Well, the access road … (open) by the Mayor next week, according to the newspaper, and the Health Minister … (invite) to open the hospital on the same day, but they don’t know yet whether she’s definitely coming.

Neil: A lot of money … (waste) if she doesn’t come.

Mary: Why’s that?

Neil: Haven’t you seen all those rose bushes that … (plant) round the hospital?

Mary: So? They’ll be lovely for the patients.

Neil: But the patients won’t be able to see them, because they are round the entrance, and the wards look out in the other direction. A lot of people protested about it, but all their complaints … (ignore) until it was too late.

Mary: If they had money to spare, it … (spend) on facilities for patients, not on making the front look pretty for the Minister.

Neil: Absolutely. It’s typical of this local council. They … (elect) to save money, but they do just the opposite.

Mary: Perhaps they … (throw) out at the next election.

Neil: I hope so. Now, are you ready for supper?

Exercise 19. Make up little dialogs following the sample dialog in the box. The first phrase for student A and the action verb are given out under the box.

1). This is a very cute photograph of your children. (take) 2) This is an excellent magazine article. (write) 3) This is a beautiful sonata. (compose) 4) This is really an exciting movie. (direct) 5) This is a very funny portrait of you. (paint) 6) This is a very useful machine. (invent) 7) This is an impressive bridge. (build) 8) This is a magnificent building. (design) 9) This is a very talented elephant. (train)

Make up your own similar dialogs as many as you can.

2. Make up your dialogs using the dialogs in the box as an example and the actions listed under the sample dialog box.

Actions: to make the bed, to send the packages, to do the dishes, to sweep the floor, to bake bread, to hide the Christmas presents under the fur-tree, to write down Mary’s telephone number, to take the garbage out, to wake the children up, to call the neighbours, to sing a song, to repair the car.

Practice more with your own actions!

Exercise 20. Complete the text with expressions from the box and answer the questions after it. Translate the text.

I’ll never forget my first day at that office. I _____ to arrive at 8.30, but when I got there the whole place seemed to be empty. I didn’t know what to do, because I ____ no information about the building or where I was going to work, so I just waited around until some of the secretaries began to turn up. Finally I ____ a dirty office on the fifth floor, where I ____ a desk in a corner. Nothing happened for an hour, then I _____ some letters to type on a computer by one of the senior secretaries. This wasn’t very successful, because I _____ how to use a computer. By lunchtime things hadn’t got any better, and I decided that. I _____ enough to put up with this nonsense, so I walked out and didn’t go back.

1) When was the man told to be at work? 2) What did he do when he arrived and why? 3) What was his workplace like? 4) Why wasn’t he satisfied with his workplace? 5) What task was he given? 6) Why wasn’t it a success? 7) Why did he think he wasn’t being paid enough? 8) What did he decide to do? 9) Was he right?

Exercise 21. Complete this conversation with verbs in a suitable tense, active or passive.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 3132