THE PASSIVE VOICE

Ex.1. Open the brackets. Use the Present Indefinite Passive.

1. The post (to deliver) every morning. 2. Steel sinks when it (to put) into water. 3. Smoking (not to allow) here. 4. Parcels often (to send). 5. Coffee (to import) from Brazil. 6. Wine (to produce) in many parts of France. 7. Accidents often (to cause) by careless­ness. 8. Newspapers (to sell) at the newsagent’s. 9. Clothes (to wash) at the launderette. 10. Films (to show) at the cinema. 11. Bread (to sell) at the baker’s. 12. Milk goes sour when it (to leave) for three days. 13. Your report highly (to speak) of. 14. The children well (to look) after. 15. The machines (to inspect) every day. 16. Flowers die when they (not to water). 17. Lost time never (to find) again. 18. This article often (to refer) to. 19. He (to pay) a lot of money for his work. 20. What (to make) at this factory? 21. When breakfast (to serve) here? 22. Where bananas (to sell)? 23. Who (to invite) to their parties? 24. What foreign languages (to teach) at the Institute? 25. You (to allow) to use this library?

Ex.2. Open the brackets. Use the Past Indefinite Passive.

1. Those paintings (to sell) for 500 pounds each. 2. That’s a good book. It(to write) by George Orwell. 3. I (to offer) an interesting job yesterday. 4. The doctor immediately (to send) for. 5. His car (not to fix) in time, so he couldn’t go to the city. 6. Ro­me (not to build) in a day. 7. Some coffee (to bring) to our room. 8. The car (to park) there. 9. I (to frighten) to death when I drove through Paris last month. 10. He (to ask) to give a speech at the party. 11. The woman (to take) to hospital. 12. Our car (to stop) because we were driving too fast. 13. He couldn’t get into the room as the door (to lock). 14. The ring (not to find). 15. The article much (to talk) about. 16. Everything (to do) in time. 17. The letters (not to sign) yesterday. 18. I (to give) a book as a present.

Ex.3. Open the brackets. Use the Future Indefinite Passive.

1. The letters (to send) tomorrow. 2. You (to give) a good present for your birthday. 3. The machines (to inspect) by the foreman. 4. You (to show) all the places of interest in our town. 5. I think you (to ask) to help them. 6. The job (to advertise) in the morning paper tomorrow. 7. He hopes he (to send) a visa soon. 8. The report (to type) in an hour. 9. The plan (to discuss) at tomorrow’s meeting. 10. They (to inform) about it today. 11. The work (not to finish) soon.

Ex.4 .Open the brackets. Use the Present Continuous Passive.

1. The film much (to talk) about. 2. The road still (to repair). 3. An office block (to build) near our school. 4. Some building work (to do) in Park Avenue. 5. A new machine (to test) in the lab. 6. This question still (to discuss). 7. This material still (to use), isn’t it? 8. Do you know that your voice (to record)? 9. The floor in the sitting- room still (to polish)? 10. The talks still (to hold).

Ex.5 . Open the brackets. Use the Past Continuous Passive.

1. Huge blocks of flats (to build) all last year. 2. When we came the pool (to fill) with water. 3. I was told that my article still (to type). 4. The car (to repair) the whole day yesterday. 5. When I left the meeting the problem still (to discuss). 6. When I entered the hall the young speci­alists (to instruct) what to do. 7. At 6 o’clock the floor still (to polish).

Ex.6 . Open the brackets. Use the Present Perfect Passive.

1. Mary is proud. Her work (to praise). 2. — What’s happened? — The window (to break). 3. Jane (not to tell) about it. 4. Many new buildings (to build) in our town lately. 5. His report much (to speak) about. 6. Dick is happy. His dog (to find). 7. There isn’t any food left. All of it (to eat). 8. I can’t find my car anywhere. I think it (to steal). 9. The house looks quite new. It (to paint). 10. Those letters (to type) yet? 11. You ever (to interview) on television? 12. Today’s post (not to bring) up yet, has it?

Ex.7 . Open the brackets. Use the Past Perfect Passive.

1. All the tickets already (to sell out) by the time John and Mary arrived.

2. When I returned home my wife told me that all the things already (to pack) and they were ready to start. 3. The room (to prepare) for the Hunts but they didn’t come. 4. I had a letter from my sister some days ago. She wrote she (to accept) to college. 5. By 5 o’clock the experiment already (to complete). 6. They realized that the telegram (not to receive).

Ex.8. Transform from Active into Passive where appropriate.

Model: 1) My sister had a baby. (a passive form would be inappropriate)

2) John opened the door. The door was opened by John.

1. The police questioned George.

2. My sister married Paul last year.

3. One of the most famous painters in the world painted this landscape.

4. Kate asked the policeman for the way to the station.

5. We didn’t come home late last night.

6. The nanny took the children to the zoo yesterday.

7. I left very early yesterday evening.

8. Victor took these photographs.

9. United won the cup last year.

10. The letter arrived a few days ago.

11. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.

12. I arrived at the airport at 7.30 in the morning.

13. They washed the car yesterday.

14. She escaped from prison.

15. The dentist pulled out the rotten tooth.

16. Someone stole my car and abandoned it fifteen miles away. He had removed the radio but done no other damage.

17. It was obvious, someone had posted my parcel.

18. When she heard that somebody had killed her dog, she burst into tears.

19. I thought that someone had told you about the meeting.

20. I hoped that someone had given Sally the message.

21. The manager will have received the documents by tomorrow.

22. The builders say they will have finished the road by Saturday.

23. She thinks, she will have written an article by the end of the month.

24. By the end of the week the government will have introduced new measures against crime.

25. They will have given him medicine before another cheek-up.