How you scored:

11-14 Congratulations! You’ve completed your round-the-world tour with the minimum of embarrassment.

7-10 Not bad. Only a few embarrassing situations!

4-6 Not so good. You should learn more about cultural differences.

0-3 You must do some cross-cultural homework before your next trip abroad, or stay at home!

Grammar Practice The Passive – Changing from Active to Passive – Questions in Passive – As – Like

1. Choose the correct answers (Active or Passive).

The National Security Bank in downtown San Antonio ___1___ (robbed/was robbed) last night. A safe ___2___ (blew open/was blown open) and around $800, 000 ___3___ (stole/was stolen). The robbery ___4___ (took/was taken) place between midnight and 1.00 am. The police ___5___ (are looking/are being looked) for two men who ___6___ (saw/were seen) getting into a black car near the bank at about 1 o'clock last night. They ___7___ (also want/are also wanted) to hear from Mr Joe Newman, 52, who ___8___ (worked/was worked) as a security guard at the bank. Mr Newman ___9___ (disappeared/was disappeared) just before the robbery and he ___10___ (has not seen/has not been seen) since then.

2. Put the verbs in brackets into a suitable passive tense.

1. Two men ………………. (see) running out of the bank yesterday morning.

2. The flowers ……………… (already/water).

3. The Smiths’ house …………….. (paint) at the moment.

4. The rubbish ……………… (already/collect) when I left for work.

5. The note ……………….. (could/not/read) because the handwriting was very messy.

6. Our exams ………………….. (not/mark) yet.

7. His car ………………… (wash) every Saturday.

8. The window ……………….. (break) before the children arrived.

9. Mary ……………………… (invite) to the party but unfortunately she couldn’t make it.

10. The telephone ……………….. (invent) in the 19^th century.

3. Choose the best way of continuing after each sentence.

1. He lives in a small house.

2. Somebody built it about forty years ago.

3. It was built about forty years ago.

2. English is worth learning.

1. People speak it in a lot of countries.

2. It is spoken in a lot of countries.

3. He got a sports car, but he didn’t like it.

1. So he sold it again.

2. So it was sold again.

4. My nephew is an artist.

1. He has just painted another picture.

2. Another picture has just been painted.

5. The new Virginia Meyer film is marvelous.

1. They are showing it at our local cinema.

2. It is being shown at our local cinema.

4. Fill in the gaps with by or with.

1. The film was directed …………. my favorite director.

2. The sauce was made …………. mushrooms and onions.

3. The child was stung ……….. a bee.

4. The window was broken …………. a piece of wood.

5. The glass bowl is filled ………….. fruit.

6. The dog was saved ……….. the neighbor.

7. He was shot …………. a rifle.

8. Dan was laughed at ……….. his friends.

9. The parcel will be delivered ……….. my uncle.

10. The house has been decorated ………… balloons.

5. Rewrite the following in the passive.

1. Who invented the telephone?

2. The thief stole all the money in the till.

3. Who has written this poem?

4. Many tourists visit the Eiffel Tower every year.

5. The fire damaged many buildings in the city centre.

6. The repairman is fixing the machine.

7. They will open a new library to the public in September.

8. We took many of these photographs when we were in India.

9. They will dedicate the new university building to Dr Peters.

10. Has Victoria set out the invitations?

6. Re-write these sentences beginning with the words given.

1. Someone will give you the Information later. You ______

2. Someone sent me a letter. A letter ______.

3. Someone knocked me over in the street. I ______.

4. The president is expected to visit Poland. It ______

5. It is said that golf was invented in China. Golf ______

6. The Queen of England is thought to be one of the richest women in the world. It ______

7. It is claimed that beings from outer space have visited the earth. Beings from outer space ______

8. People say that sunbathing causes skin cancer. Sunbathing is supposed ______

7. Re-write the sentences in the active, beginning with the words given.

e.g. The phone is being repaired now. - They are repairing the phone now.

1. A new motorway has been built. They ______

2. The information is kept on our computer. We ______

3. A man was arrested late last night. The police ______.

4. The medicine should be taken after meals. You ______

5. The hotel will have to be sold. We ______

6. Mike doesn't like being criticized. Mike doesn't like people ______.

7. When I returned to the town, my old school had been pulled down. When I returned to the town, they ______

8. As I was walking home, I thought I was being followed. As I was walking home, I thought someone ______.