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PASSIVE VOICE - Basic Explanation & Exercises
PASSIVE VOICE - Basic Explanation & Exercises
Some characteristics:
1. The main formula is : be + past participle
2. The changes of tense are carried out by the ‘to be’
3. The object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb
4. The object in the active verb becomes the agent of the passive sentence
5. Only transitive verbs (verbs that are followed by an object) are used in the passive (the
active sentence can be changed into passive if there is an object in the sentence)
6. We don’t need to write the agent if the subjects in the active sentence are common,
unimportant, or unknown; for example: someone, people, etc
Pattern
S + to be + V3 + agent + O + adv
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B. USE ACTIVE OR PASSIVE, IN ANY APPROPRIATE TENSE FOR THE VERBS IN BRACKETS
1. It’s noon. The mail should be here soon. It (deliver, usually) ___________ sometime between noon and one o’clock
2. Only five of us (work) ________ in the laboratory yesterday when the explosion (occur) _____. Luckily, no one (hurt )
___________
3. I was supposed to take a test yesterday, but I (admit, not) ________ into the testing room because the examination (begin,
already) ________________
4. According to a recent survey, out of every dollar an American spends on food, thirty-six cents (spend) __________at
restaurants
5. I’m sorry I’m late. I (hold up) ___________ by the rush hour traffic. It (take) _________ thirty minutes for me to get here
instead of fifteen.
6. Before she graduated last May, Susan (offer, already) ___________ a position with a law firm
7. According to many scientists, solar energy (use) _______ extensively in the twenty- first century
8. I (study) _______ English here for the last two months. My English (get) _______ better, but still find it difficult to
understand lectures.
9. Right now a student trip to the planetarium (organize) _________ by Mrs. Hunt. You can sign up for it at her office
10. He is a man whose name will go down in history. He (forget, never) _______ by his countrymen.
11. When you (arrive) _________ at the airport tomorrow, you (meet) ______ by a friend of mine. He (wear) ______ a red shirt
and blue jeans. He (be) ________ fairly tall and (have) ______dark hair. He (stand) _______ near the main entrance. I’m
sure you will be able to find him.
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5. Beethoven’s Seventh symphony was performed by my brother at the concert last night.
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D. USE THE WORDS IN THE FOLLOWING LIST TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES.
2. Yesterday it was hot in this room because the window (close) _____
5. Jim is sitting quietly. His elbows (bend) __________ and his hands (fold) ________in front of him
10. My room is very near neat right now. The bed (make) _______, the floor (sweep) ____, and the dishes (wash) _______
11. We are ready to sit down and eat dinner. The table (set) _______the meat and rice (do) ________, and the candles (light)
_____
14. Don’t look in the hall closet. Your birthday present (hide) _______
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F. USE THE APPROPRIATE FORM OF THE WORDS IN THE FOLLOWING LIST TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
____ ‘We like Mrs. Stella very much. We…. English by her for three years.’
A. are teaching
B. are taught
C. have been taught
D. have been teaching
E. are taught
____ The victim had been taken to the hospital before the ambulance came. Means…..
It…….the ambulance that took the victim to the hospital.
A. was
B. was not
C. is
D. were not
E. had not been
____ They are building a new garage near here. We can also say…..
A. Here is being built by them
B. A new garage is building by them here
C. A new garage is being built by them near here
D. A new garage is being built near here
E. A new garage was being built near here
____ All the salty fish had been eaten by the cats.
From this sentence we know that…..
A. The cats eat all the salty fish
B. The cats had been eaten all the salty fish
C. There are still some salty fish left
D. A cat ate all the salty fish
E. A cat has eaten all the salty fish
____ After waiting for two hours, we were told that the actress….
A. will gone out
B. would be gone out
C. had been gone out
D. have been gone out
E. would have been gone out
____ The injured bird……..in the special cage for one week.
A. has been kept
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B. was being kept
C. has be kept
D. was kept
E. have been kept
____ Who announced the information of the English debating competition this morning?
A. Whom the information of the English debating competition has been announced this morning
B. By whom the information of the English debating competition has announced this morning?
C. By whom the information of the English debating competition was announced this morning?
D. By whom was the information of the English debating competition announced this morning?
E. By whom was announced about the information of the English debating competition this morning?
4. Has the police caught those robbers running out your neighbor’s house?
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5. Don’t mock at those lazy students who got punishment from their teacher.
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