Simple Past Passive

1. Read and translate following examples.

1. Those paintings were sold for 500 pounds each. 2. That book was written by George Orwell. 3. I was offered an interesting job yesterday. 4. The doctor was immediately sent for. 5. No agreement was reached at the talks. 6. Rome wasn't built in a day. 7. Some coffee was brought to our room. 8. The scope of the project was extended and more factors were examined. 9. He was asked to give a speech at the party. 10. The woman was taken to hospital. 11. The conference was attended by a number of leading experts in this field. 12. The article was much talked about. 13. Everything was done in time. 14. The letters were not signed yesterday. 15. I was given a book as a present.

2. Substitute the stimulus words.

— The watch was sold yesterday morning. (ring)

— The ring was sold yesterday morning.

1. Mary was given a ten days' leave. (John) 2. All the catalogues were printed last month. (leaflets) 3. The letter was brought in the evening. (telegramme) 4. The key was lost some days ago. (book) 5. The documents were left in the drawer. (money) 6. The oranges were put into the refrigerator. (apples) 7. Mary was promised help. (Tom) 8. We were offered a large discount. (Tom)

3. Answer the questions.

— I think Mary baked the cakes, didn't she?

— Yes, the cakes were baked by Mary.

1. Betty cleaned the flat, didn't she? 2. Roger sent the parcel, didn't he? 3. I think Lucy typed the article, didn't she? 4. I think Steve photo-copied the papers, didn't he? 5. I think Susan translated the text, didn't she? 6. I think Donald caught that big fish, didn't he? 7. I think the engineers made those tests, didn’t they?

4. Transform the following sentences with two objects.

Note the following verbs: tell, give, offer, show, pay, grant, leave, promise, lend, send

— They offered me a job at the hospital.

— I was offered a job at the hospital. A job was offered to me.

1. They showed the scientists a new research centre. 2. She gave me a pound of sugar. 3. He told the children fairy-tales. 4. They paid him only part of the money. 5. The doctor prescribed me a lot of medicine. 6. They promised us seats in the first row. 7. The doctors advised him to take a long holiday. 8. She recommended me a rest in the south. 9. They lent me £50.

5. Make these passive.

1. They paid the bills in time. 2. John usually looks though the mail in the morning. 3. All the orders were checked before the delivery. 4. He always answers urgent messages. 4. He checked his e-mail in the morning. 5. She never leaves documents on the desk. 6. The manager discussed the payment terms with the customers. 7. She answers all the phone calls in the office. 8. We employ a lot of staff. 9. They quoted a high price. 10. She types an appointment sheet every morning.

6. Respond to the following.

— They didn't ask me any questions. And Jack?

— Jack wasn't asked any questions either.

1. They didn't promise him help. And Robert? 2. They didn't order any drilling machines. And the presses? 3. They didn't invite John to the picnic. And Roger? 4. She didn't inform me about her arrival. And you? 5. They didn't tell me the news. And you? 6. He didn't allow me to use his dictionary. And you?

7. Ask your partner

when the parcel was brought; what was discussed at the last meeting; what mark he/she was given at his/her last English exam; if he/she is paid well; if he/ she is often sent abroad; when he/she was last sent a letter; if he/she is often visited by his/her friends; what foreign language he/she was taught at school; by whom the text was translated, when the documents were photo-copied; when the newspaper was delivered; what is produced at that factory; how many people are employed at your factory; when the tickets were booked; if his/her dictionary was found; when dinner is served; when the meeting was held; when America was discovered.

8. Translate into English.

1. В прошлом году его не посылали за границу. 2. Когда заказали билеты? 3. Когда доставили почту? 4. Соглашение было подписано 10 марта. 5. Почему ему не сообщили об ее отъезде? 6. Где проходила конфе-ренция? 7. Когда был построен этот вокзал? 8. Сколько писем было получено вче­ра? 9. Нас не пригласили на вечер. 10. Мне не предложили билет на концерт. 11. Кем была выполнена эта работа? 12. Гостям показали лаборатории института. 13. Этот вопрос обсуждался на нашем последнем собрании. 14. Докумен­ты были напечатаны в пятницу. 15. Письмо было написа­но моим секретарем два дня назад. 16. О фильме много говорили. 17. Кто перевел эту статью? 18. Кем была организована эта выставка? 19. В какой компании был размещен заказ? 20. Когда эта модель была представлена на мировом рынке?