Unit 12

The Passive

Part I

The Present Simple and Past Simple Passive

Exercise 1.1

Write sentences from the words in brackets. Sentences 1-6 are present.

1. (cheese/ make/ from milk) Cheese is made from milk.

2. (the office workers/ pay/ twice a month)

3. (the house/ paint/ every year)

4. (coffee/ grow/ in Brazil?)

5. (letters/ not/ write/ very often)

6. (maths/ teach/ at school)

Sentences 7-12 are past.

7. (the mirror/ break/ yesterday) The mirror was broken yesterday.

8. (my jewellery/ steal/ last week)

9. (my car/ damage/ last night)

10. (the trees/ plant/ in spring?)

11. (when/ the new trainer/ employ?)

12. (this suit/ not/ wear/ last month)

Exercise 1.2

Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs in the correct passive form.

cut	delay	deliver	keep	make	publish
rob	take	teach	visit	wake up	wash

1. Her new book was published last month.

2. The local bank ... in the morning.

3. His money ... in the bank.

4. This museum ... by millions of people every year.

5. A lot of important discoveries ... in the 20^th century.

6. I ... by a loud noise last night.

7. Every time he travels by plane, his flight ... .

8. I learnt to ride a bicycle when I was 6. I ... by my father.

9. The towels in the hotel ... every day.

10. How often ... the post ...?

11. The grass ... never ... in winter.

12. ... the letters ... to the post office yesterday?

Part II The Passive with various tenses and structures

Exercise 2.1

Open the brackets using the right passive form of the Present, Past or Future Simple, Present or Past Continuous, Present Perfect or Past Perfect Simple.

1. Progress is made every day in the world of science.

2. My uncle … (recently/make) a captain.

3. We can’t take the car yet, it … (still/repair).

4. The newspaper … (deliver) before I got up this morning.

5. We hope that the missing money … (find) soon.

6. A lot of money … (spend) on weapons nowadays.

7. Too many offices … (build) in London over the last ten years.

8. I couldn’t go to my favourite café. It … (redecorate) .

9. We … (not invite) to the party, so we didn’t go.

10. I’m sorry, madam, but this carpet … (already/sell).

11. Most people agree that America … (not discover) by Christopher Columbus.

12. When she heard that her dog … (kill), she burst into tears.

13. A new ring road … (build) round the city now.

14. A cinema is a place where films … (show).

15. The bridge is closed at the moment. It … (damage) last week and it … (not repair) yet.

Exercise 2.2

Write questions to the underlined parts of the sentences .

1. The telephone was invented in 1876. When was the telephone invented?

2. Five computers have been bought this week.

3. The key was lost some days ago.

4. Three men were arrested in connection with the robbery.

5. This fruit is grown in very hot countries.

6. She was fined two hundred pounds for careless driving.

7. The workers will be paid $50 every Friday.

8. The house hasn’t been cleaned for weeks.

9. This kind of bread is sold at the local supermarket.

10. The house has been redecorated twice, and now it looks nice.

11. At the moment the man is being interviewed by the police.

Exercise 2.3

Write sentences in the passive.

1. Milk/ should/ keep/ in the fridge. Milk should be kept in the fridge.

2. The books/ have to/ return/ to the library in three days.

3. The shirt/ must/ dry-clean/ only.

4. Your health/ can/ improve/ with more exercise.

5. My uncle’s new book/ be going to/ publish/ next month.

6. the article/ be going to/ translate into German?

7. this sum of money/ can/ change into dollars/ at every bank?

8. The missing child/ can’t/ find/ anywhere.

9. The problem/ be going to/ discuss today.

10. Photographs/ mustn’t/ take/ here.

11. The walls/ should/ wash/ before/ you/ paint/ them.

12. Look at the expiry date. This product/ have to/ use/ by next week.

13. oil/ have to/ refine/ before making petrol?