PASSIVE VOICE

Verb Tense

Active

Passive

Present simple

The farmer keeps the cows here

The cows are kept here by the farmer

Present continuous

They are painting the house

The house is being painted

Past Simple

John wrote the letter

The letter was written by John

Past continuous

Sally was driving the car

The car was being driven by Sally

Present perfect

The police has raid the area

The area has been raided by the police

Present perfect continuous

The police has been raiding the area

The area has been being raided by the police

Past perfect

They had never done it before

It had never been done before

Past perfect continuous

They had been restoring the old house

The old house had been being restored

Future

We will finish it soon.

It will be finished soon

Conditional

They would do it in time.

It would be done in time

Modals

They can't farm that land.

That land can't be farmed

Indirect Passive Passiva (Passiva idiomtica)

(o complemento indirecto passa para sujeito da passiva)

Active

Passive

They pay him a good salary

He is paid a good salary

They offered Jack a new job

Jack was offered a new job

We will give her all the support she needs

She will be given all the support she needs

Alternative Passive

Active

Passive

They say nuclear energy presents too many disadvantages

It is said that nuclear energy presents too many disadvantages

Nuclear energy is said to present too many disadvantages

EXERCISES

A.Change into the passive (The first one is already done as an example)

Present Simple

1. They kill 50.000 seals a year

50.000 seals are killed a year

2. He gives an interview every month

An interview

3. The housekeeper doesn't lock the door every night

The door ...

4. They buy the newspaper every day.

The newspaper

5. They sell the newspaperin that kiosk.

The newspaper ...

Present Continuous

1. John is writing a new article on consumerism

A new article on consumerism is being written by John.

2. They are building a new road.

A new road .

3. Pollution isnt affecting the area.

The area

Past Simple

1.He increased the voltage slowly

The voltage was increased.

2.He occasionally turned the machine off

The machine ...

3.They didnt give any information about the school rules.

No information ...

4. We didnt see the advertisements.

The advertisements

Past Simple continuous

1.They were carrying out a survey.

A survey was being carried out.

2. The TV was informing the consumers.

The consumers

3.Peter wasnt taking a different attitude

A different attitude

4. They were studying the problem.

The problem .

Present Perfect

1.The police have raided the area frequently.

The area has been raided by the police

2.Somebody has scratched my car

My car ...

3. Somebody has killed the President

The President ...

4.Theyhaventcontacted her mother yet.

Her mother....

5. We havent executed alltheir orders yet.

All their orders

6. Jack has written that note

That note

7. We have just visited that old medieval town

That old medieval town

Present Perfect continuous

1. They havent been executing his orders.

His orders havent been being executed.

2. They have been warning the population about the dangers of contaminated water.

The population

Past perfect

1. They had followed his example

His example

2. We hadnt visited that town yet.

That town

3. They had published a new book.

A new book .

Future; Conditional; Modal verbs

1.They willpostpone the meeting.

The meeting will be postponed.

2.They can produce the brochures here.

The brochures

3. You must abandon the scheme.

The scheme

4. They couldn't repair the tractor.

The tractor ...

5. Theywould encourage the students to use the dictionary.

The students ..

6. They must repair the pavements.

The pavements PASSIVE VOICEB. Rewrite as indicated below (the first is already done as an example)

1.The policeman stopped the burglar

The burglarwas stopped by the burglar.2. Thousands of people watched the rock concert

The rock concert ...

3. They willrepair our bathroom at the end of the week.

Our bathroom...

4. They have elected a new President.

A new President ...

5. The government is building a new hospital.

A new hospital ...

6. They have closed the motorway.

The motorway ...

7. Our students write interesting articles for the school newspaper.

Interesting articles ...

8. Someone stole my wallet.

My wallet ...

9. The Greek team won the European cup.

The European cup ...

10. The waiter in a red coat served dinner.

Dinner ...

11. They have closed the school.

The school

12. Millions of people speak English all over the world.

English ...

13. One of the students left the gym equipment in the playground.

The gym equipment ...

14. The burglars have left the office door open.

The office door ...

15. The people of Londonhave welcomed the Queen.

The Queen ...

16. The headmaster will punish the students that have missed the classes.

The students that have missed the train ...

17. The director postponed the meeting.

The meeting ...

18. The City Mayor is doing a good work.

A good work ...

19. The policehave arrested a group of terrorists.

A group of terrorists ...

20. The English team will play the semi-final next Friday evening.

The semi-final ...

C. Indirect Passive - Rewrite the following sentences as indicated below (the first one is already done as an example)

1. They give us the information every week.

E.g. We are given the information every week.2. They don't give him a present every year

He ...

3. They usually tell her everything they know.

She ...

4. They arent telling her all the truth

She .

5. They arent paying him much.

He ..

6. He didn't tell Mr Y what was happening.

Mr Y ...

7.They paid Mr Y 500

Mr Y ...

8. The experiment didn't injure Mr Y

Mr Y ...

9.They didn't ask Mr Y to come back later

Mr Y....

10. They werent informing her properly.

She .

11.The teacher has given the students a severe telling-off

The students ...

12. They havebeen visiting Marya lot lately.

Mary

13. They had already given her that book.

She .

14They will accuse her of theft.

She....

15. They told us she is working at the international office

We ...

16. They allowed her to make remarks during the rehearsal.

She ...

17. Nobody could allow him to play hockey because he wouldnt keep the rules.

He ...

18. They havegranted her the request to open a shop here.

She ...

19. They will allow you to take part in the festival.

You ...

20. No one expected her to answer.

She ...

21. Someone gave the guide a good tip for his service

The guide ...

22. They will offer himlots of money for his discovery.

He....

23. Somebody insultedme when I was walking down the street.

I ...

24. They paid him ten shillings a day.

He ...

D. Rewrite these sentences in the passive form. Miscellaneous (the first one is already done as an example)

1.Someone gave him the wrong medicine.

He was given the wrong medicine.2. People have offered Mary a lot of money.

Mary ...

3. Someonehas broken the glasses.

The glasses ...

4. The authorities are banning the traffic from the city centres

The traffic ...

5. People all over the world are learning English.

English ...

6. Someone painted the walls.

The walls ...

7. The players are wearing new equipment for the match next Saturday.

A new equipment ...

8. Theymust build a new bridge over the river.

A new bridge ...

9. They ate all the foodat the party.

All the food ...

10. Theydidnt leave any drinks on the table.

No drinks ...

E. Rewrite as indicated below - Miscellaneous (the first one is already done as an example)

1.Someone showed the child how to use the telephone

The child was shown how to use the phone2.They have promised Mary a new opportunity.

Mary.....................

3.They asked her to sign her name at the information desk.

She....................

4.The embassies are refusing young people a visa.

Young people................

5.The doctor won't prescribe us a different diet

We....................

6.They willask you several questions.

You...................

7. They hadnt promised him a rise in the salary.

He............................

8.They call young executives "Yuppies"

Young executives..........................

9. Dangerous driving is causingmany accidents.

Many accidents...

10. They built this house in 1930.

This house....

11. They cancelled the flights because of the fog.

The flights....

12. People have advised us not to outalone.

We.....

13. They have told her to avoid going out at night.

She....

14. They should forbid children to watch some TV programmes.

Children.....

15. We are expecting the result of the tests in about two hours' time.

The result....

16. You must not allow the children to see television until late.

The children....

17. It will be difficult to reachan agreement.

An agreement ...

18. They requested all spectators to leave the stadium in good order.

All spectators....

19. The government sent a team of experts to study the problem.

A team of experts ...

20. The experts willhave to instruct the local farmers about the new farming techniques.

The local farmers ...

F. Rewrite as indicated below - Miscellaneous (the first one is already done as an example)

1. They didnt invite me to the party.

I wasnt invited to the party

2. A long noise woke us up in the middle of the night.

We ...

3. I didnt realise that somebody was recording our conversation.

I didnt realise that our conversation ...

4. They have postponed the concert.

The concert ...

5. Somebody has cleaned the room.

The room ...

6. They are building a new ring road round the city.

A new ring road ...

7. They must do something about the situation.

Something ...

8. They cant farm this land.

This land....

9. They keep all their books in here.

All their books....

10. This company employs two hundred people.

Two hundred people .

11. They made a terrible mistake

A terrible mistake

12. Walt Disney created several cartoons

Several cartoons

13. They are decorating the house

The house

14. They gave her a new car on her birthday.

She

15. They will ask John to go to Paris

John

16. We had to postpone our trip to the Bahamas

Our trip

17. You should show Pauline her new bedroom.

Pauline

18. People can keep these plants at home.

These plants

19. They will offer us valuable presents.

We

20. It will be extremely difficult to achieve a similar effect.

A similar effect ...

Exercise A.

Simple Present

1.50.000 seals are killed a year.

2.An interview is given every year by him.

3.The door isn't locked by the housekeeper every night.

4.The newspaper is bought every day.

5.The newspaper is sold in that kiosk.

Present Continuous

1.A new article on consumerism is being written by John

2.A new road is being built .

3.The area isn't being affected by the pollution

Past Simple

1The voltage was slowly increased.

2.The machine was occasionally turned off

3.No information about the school rules was given

4. The advertisements weren't seen

Past Simple continuous

1.A survey was being carried out

2. The consumers were being informed by the television

3. A different attitude wasn't being taken by Peter

4. The problem wasn't being studied

Present Perfect

1.The area has been raided frequently by the police

2.My car has been scratched

3.The President has been killed

4.Her mother hasn't been contacted yet

5.All their orders haven't been executed yet

6. That note has been written by Jack

7. That old medieval town has just been visited by us.

Present Perfect continuous

1..His orders haven't been being executed.

2. The population has been being warned about the dangers of contaminated water.

Past perfect

1. His example had been followed

2. That town hadn't been visited yet

3. A new book had been published

Future; Conditional; Modal verbs

1.The meeting will be postponed

2.The brochures can be produced here

3.The scheme must be abandoned

4. The tractor couldn't be repaired

5. The students would be encouraged to use the dictionary

6. The pavements must be repair

Exercise B.

1. The burglar .was stopped by the policeman.

2. The rock concert was watched by thousands of people

3. Our bathroom will be repaired at the end of the week.

4. A new President has been elected

5. A new hospital is being built by the government.

6. The motorwayhas been closed.

7. Interesting articles for the school newspaper are written by our students.

8. My wallet was stolen.

9. The European cup was won by the Greek team.

10. Dinnerwas served by the waiter.

11. The schoolhas been closed.

12. Englishis spoken all over the world by millions of people.

13. The gym equipment was left in the playground by one of the students.

14. The office doorhas been left open by the burglars.

15. The Queen has been welcome by the people.

16. The students that have missed the classes will be punished by the headmaster.

17. The meeting was postponed by the director.

18. A good workis being done by the City Mayor.

19. A group of terrorists has been arrested by the police.

20. The semi-finalwill be played next Friday by the English team.

Exercise C.(Indirect Passive)

1. We are given the information every week

2. He isn't given a present every year

3. She usually is told everything they know

4.She isn't being told the truth

5. He isn't being paid much

6. Mr Y wasn't told what was happening

7.Mr Y was paid 500

8. Mr Y wasn't injured by the experiment

9.Mr Y wasn't asked to come back later

10. She wasn't being properly informed

11.The students have been given a severe telling-off

12. Mary has been visited a lot lately

13. She had already been given that book

14She will be accused of theft

15. We were told she is working at the international office

16. She was allowed to make remarks during the rehearsal.

17. He couldn't be allowed to play hockey because he wouldnt keep the rules.

18. She has been granted the request to open a shop here.

19. You will be allowed to take part in the festival.

20. She was not expected to answer

21. The guide was given a good tip for his service.

22. He will be offered lots of money for his discovery.

23. I was insulted when I was walking down the street.

24. He was paid ten shillings a day.

Exercise D. Correction

1. He was given the wrong medicine.

2. Mary was offered a lot of money.

3. The glasses have been broken.

4. The traffic is being banned from the city centres by the authorities.

5. English is spoken by people all over the world.

6. The walls were painted.

7. A new equipment was being worn by the players for the match next Saturday.

8. A new bridge must be built over the river.

9. All the food was eaten at the party.

10. No drinks were left on the table.

Exercise E. Correction

1.The child was showed how to use the dictionary

2.Mary has been promised a new opportunity

3.She was asked to sign her name at the information desk.

4.Young people are being refused a visa by the embassies

5.We won't be prescribed a different diet by the doctor

6.You will be asked several questions.

7.He hadn't been promised a rise in the salary.

8.Young executives are called "Yuppies"

9.Many accidents are being caused by dangerous driving

10.This house. was built in 1930

11.The flights were cancelled because of the fog

12.We have been advised not to go out alone

13.She has been told to avoid going out at night.

14.Childrenshould be forbidden to watch some TV programmes.

15.The result of the tests are being expected in about two hours

16.The children must not be allowed to see television until late.

17.An agreement will be difficult to reach.

18.All spectators were requested to leave the stadium in good order.

19.A team of experts were sent to study the problem by the government

20.The local farmers will have to be instructed bout the new farming techniques by the experts.

Exercise F. - Correction

1. I wasn't invited to the party

2. We were woken up in the middle of the night by a long noise.

3. I didnt realise that our conversationwas being recorded.

4. The concert has been postponed

5. The room has been cleaned.

6. A new ring road is being built.

7. Somethingmust be done about the situation.

8. This land can't be farmed

9. All their books are kept in here

10. Two hundred people are employed by this company.

11. A terrible mistake was made.

12.Several cartoon were created by Walt Disney

13. The house is being decorated

14. She was given a new car on her birthday

15. John will be asked to go to Paris

16. Our trip to the Bahamas had to be postponed

17. Pauline should be shown her new bedroom

18. These plants can be kept at home.

19. We will be offered valuable presents.

20. A similar effect will be very difficult to reach.