Passive Voice Practice

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I. Change the following sentences into Passive Voice.

a) They are repairing the streets this month. The streets _________this month.

b) They make these tools of plastic. These tools________________________ of plastic.
c) They make shoes in that factory. _______________________________________
d) People must not leave bicycles in the driveway. _____________________________
e) They built that skyscraper in 1934. ______________________________________
f) The students will finish the course by July. _________________________________

II. Change the following sentences into Active Voice
e.g. This car was manufactured in Japan by Toyota. Toyota manufactured this car in Japan.

a) Last year 2,000 new units had been produced by the time we introduced the new design.
We__________ 2,000 new units by the time we introduced the new design last year.
b) Casual clothes must not be worn. You__________ casual clothes.
c) This rumour must have been started by our competitors. Our competitors___________ this rumour.
d) The test will be given at five o'clock this afternoon.
The school____________ the test at five o'clock this afternoon.

e) Before the semester was over, the new nursing program had been approved by the Curriculum Committee and the Board of Trustees. _______________________________

f) With five seconds left in the game, an illegal time-out was called by one of the players. _______________

g) An unexpected tornado smashed several homes and uprooted trees in a suburb of
Knoxville. _________________________________________________

h) Participants in the survey were asked about their changes in political affiliation. ________

i) Tall buildings and mountain roads were avoided by Raoul because he had such a fear of heights. ________________________________________

j) I was surprised by the teacher's lack of sympathy. __________________________

k) The Yellow Wallpaper" was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. _______________

l) The major points of the lesson were quickly learned by the class, but they were also quickly forgotten by them. _________________________________________________

m) Later in the day, the employees were informed of their loss of benefits by the boss herself.
________________________________________

n) For several years, Chauncey was raised by his elderly grandmother. ________________

III. Solve the mystery

I’m old (about 500 years old, actually) but, according to many people, I’m still beautiful. I’m called a work of art, a masterpiece, although there’s something about me that people still don’t really understand. About a hundred years ago, I was stolen from my home in France (which, incidentally, was not the country I was painted in), but fortunately I was returned within a couple of years. I certainly didn’t enjoy being moved around during that time, but I wasn’t damaged, thankfully.
My creator was a man far ahead of his time; he was a scientist, an artist, an engineer and even an architect. Believe it or not, he once designed (and named) a prototype for a form of air travel! He was a very busy man indeed – in fact, it took him a long time to create me. But it was all worth it in the end; I’m famous now and so is he. I’m known by two names, the first is my first name and the other is my surname. You know me, don’t you?

NOW Answer these questions. Then read the text below and check your answers.

1. Who, or what, am I? _____________________________
2. Who was my creator? _____________________________
3. Where (in France) is my home? _____________________________
4. What are the two names I am known by? _____________________________
5. What is it about me that people don’t understand? ____________________
6. Where was I painted? _____________________________
7. How long did it take to create me? _____________________________
8. Who stole me? _____________________________
9. After I was stolen, where was I found? _____________________________
10. Which aircraft did my creator design and name? _____________________

IV. Circle the correct verb form: Active or Passive

a) We have produced / have been produced over 20 different models in the past two years
b) When I saw him he was following / being followed by the police
c) Your attitude can accept / can’t be accepted
d) A loud noise frightened / was frightened the animal
e) The children will send / will be sent to a new school
f) Diet coke has been made / has made since 1982
g) Driving at 120 km/hr should ban / banned / be banned.
h) The recipe have been kept / has been kept a secret
i) The idea has understood / has been understood by everyone
j) Casual clothes aren’t usually wear / worn in proms.
k) It believed / is believed that we have the best English Teacher in the whole wide world.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

In English the passive voice is used when we do not know (or do not mind) who did the action, since what is important is what happened or to whom.

Structure of the sentence

Subject: Person or object that suffered/enjoyed the results of an action.
The verb "to be" in the tense the action ocurred.
The Past Participle of the verb that represents the action itself.
Whatever complements that verb needs.
In a few special cases we can also use by + the agent.

EXAMPLES
Present simple
Pigs are often used to find truffles
Present continuous
My house is being redecorated at the moment
Present perfect
I have never been given flowers on my birthday
Past simple
This picture was painted by Picasso
Past continuous
When I saw him he was being followed by the police
Past perfect
She was angry because she had already been told three times
Future simple
When you get there everything will be finished
Future with going to
They are not going to be easily convinced
Conditional simple
You would be punished if they found out
Conditional perfect
If you hadn’t told them would I have been invited?
Can
Your question can’t be answered
Must
He must be told if we want him to know
Have to
She had to be taken to hospital after the crash
Should
They shouldn’t be allowed to do things like that