Active and Passive Voice

Directions: Choose the correct passive sentence for each active

sentence below.
1.Science and biology fascinate me.
Science and biology are fascinated by me.
I am fascinated by science and biology.
No passive answer possible.
2.Some people in Canada speak French.
Some people in French speak Canada.
Canada is spoken by some French people.
French is spoken in Canada by some people.
3.My aunt made this dress for me.
My aunt has made this dress for me.
This aunt was made by my dress for me.
This dress was made for me by my aunt.
4.Douglas baked a cake!
Douglas was baked by a cake!
A cake was baked by Douglas!
No passive answer possible.
5.An accident happened yesterday.
Yesterday was an accident happened.
An accident was happened yesterday.
No passive answer possible.
6.Did Shakespeare write the book, "Anne of Green Gables?"
Shakespeare was by "Anne of Green Gables" written?
Did "Anne of Green Gables" was written by Shakespeare?
Was "Anne of Green Gables" written by Shakespeare?
7.People enjoy climbing mountains.
People was climbed by mountains.
Mountains enjoy being climbed by people.
No passive answer possible.
8. People found a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in Saskatchewan, Canada.
People were found in Saskatchewan, Canada.
A Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton was found in Saskatchewan, Canada.
No passive answer possible.
9. Video games are fun to play.
Fun is to play video games.
Games are fun to play video.

No passive answer possible.

10.People sing 'O Canada' before important Canadian events.
'O Canada' is sung before important Canadian events.
'O Canada! is before important Canadian events sung.
No passive answer possible

Present Simple Passive

The passive is used when the object of a sentence is more important than the subject.
Compare:
The Queen rules Great Britain (Active)
Great Britain is ruled by The Queen (Passive)
To form the passive we use To Be + past participle

Make passive sentences from the following information:

1.

Fiat cars \ make\Italy

2.

Spaghetti \ cook\ boiling water

3.

Children \ educate\ schools

4.

Football \ play\ every country

5.

Racehorses \ ride \ jockeys

6.

People \ kidnap \ Sardinian bandits

7.

We \ teach \ our teacher

8.

Spaghetti \ make \ flour

9.

German \ speak \ Switzerland

Past Simple Passive

The passive is used when the object of a sentence is more important than the subject.
Compare:

James Cameron directed Titanic (Active)

Titanic was directed by James Cameron (Passive)
To form the past passive we use To Be (past) + past participle
Make passive sentences from the following information:
1.

ballpoint pen \ invent \1937

2.

hospital \ open \ The Queen \ last week

3.

car \ steal \ 10.00 last night

4.

you \ see \ with another woman!

5.

what time \ he \ attack?

6.

we \ meet \ at the airport \ tour guide

7.

they \ marry \ vicar dressed like Elvis Presley

8.

Ferrari \ drive \ Schumacher and Barichello in 2000

9.

Poland \ invade \ 1939

Passive and Active Verb Practice

speak

English
They

speak

by many people of the world.

English to each other to communicate easily.
occur

When the earthquake

many buildings
The telephone
America
he

think

Ferarris

in the metroplis,

destroy

invent

discover

.
by Alexander Graham Bell.
by Columbus, but

that the continent was India.

manufacture

in Italy.

That movie has terrible violence in it, so it

show

must not

to people under 18 years of age.

Today's newspaper has a shocking headline, so

sell

it may

kiss

The bride
she

smile

drive

very well.

happily.
over the speed limit last night.

The accident

speak

Korean

speak

English

My friend and I
Jeans

w ear

An earthquake
The news

report

happen

because of my speeding.

in my family.

appear

Dark clouds

by the groom, and

in the sky.

by George Bush.
play

poker.

by young people.
occur

in Seattle.

by the anchorwoman.

Passive or Active??
1. That door __________ (paint) yesterday.
2. Michelangelo ___________ (paint) the Sistine Chapel.
3. Michael Schumacher ____________ (drive) for Ferrari.
4. In the UK, everyone ____________ (drive) on the left.
5. Inter-city trains _____________ (usually/drive) by men.
6. The 'La Stampa' newspaper __________ (read) by two million people in Italy.
7. My car ___________ (steal)! Call the police!!!!
8. The thieves ___________ (steal) the gold last week.
9. The Queen _____________ (open) the bridge tomorrow.
10. The bridge _____________ (destroy) by the storm last night.
11. I ___________ (learn) Japanese when I was in Tokyo.

12. I ____________(teach) by an old Japanese man.

13. This letter ______________ (should/type), not handwritten!
14. The new secretary _____________ (type) at 100 wpm.

Study this chart that shows how to change active sentences into passive sentences:
PRESENT and PAST CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)

Active:
Present Continuous
I am helping Shannon.
June is helping Su and Ling.

Passive:
Present Continuous
Shannon is being helped by me.
Su and Ling are being helped by June.

Past Continuous
Past Continuous
I was cleaning the bathroom.
The bathroom was being cleaned by me.
They were cleaning the bedroom.
The bedroom was being cleaned by them.
Susan was cleaning the kitchen and patio. The kitchen and patio were being cleaned by her.

Change the active verbs to passive verbs in the sentences below.

Click on the Check Answers button.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

The people are discussing politics.

Politics

by the people.

Martin is painting the house.

The house

by Martin.

Tina was cleaning the classroom.

The classroom

by Tina.

Sam was smashing the aluminum cans.

The aluminum cans

by Sam.

The students are writing compositions.

Compositions

by the students.

Sara was holding an umbrella.

The umbrella

by Sara.

The teacher was helping the students.

The students

by the teacher.

Frank is locking all the the doors.

All the doors

by Frank.

Sasha is explaining some old Russian traditions.

Some old Russian traditions

by Sasha.

Two horses were pulling the farmer's cart.

The farmer's cart

by two horses.

FUTURE TENSES
Active:
Future with WILL
I will mail the gift.
Jack will mail the gifts.

Passive:
Future with WILL
The gift will be mailed by me.
The gifts will be mailed by Jack.

Future with GOING TO

Future with GOING TO
I am going to make the cake.
The cake is going to be made by me.
Sue is going to make two cakes. Two cakes are going to be made by Sue.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Elaine will mail the postcard.

The postcard

by Elaine.

David is going to buy a new car.

A new car

by David.

Terry will clean the classroom.

The classroom

by Terry.

Steve is going to smash the aluminum cans.

The aluminum cans

by Steve.

Each student will write a composition.

A composition

by each student.

PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT

Active:

Passive:

Present Perfect
I have mailed the gift.
Jack has mailed the gifts.

Present Perfect
The gift has been mailed by me.
The gifts have been mailed by Jack.

Past Perfect
Past Perfect
Steven Spielberg had directed the movie. The movie had been directed by him.
Penny Marshall had directed those movies. The movies had been directed by her.

1)
2)

4)

6)
7)
8)
9)

Lina has written many poems.

Many poems

by Lina.

Maris had already returned the book to the library before they called her.
The book

already

to the library by Maris before they called her.

Sara has knitted many sweaters.

Many sweaters

by Sara.

By the year 1850, people had found gold in California.

By the year 1850, gold

in California.

Someone has broken the window.

The window

Frank has locked the door.

The door

by Frank.

Oh no! Someone has stolen my purse!

Oh no! My purse

Study this chart that shows how to change active sentences into passive sentences:
PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT
Active:
Passive:

Present Perfect
Present Perfect
I have mailed the gift.
The gift has been mailed by me.
Jack has mailed the gifts.
The gifts have been mailed by Jack.
Past Perfect
Past Perfect
Steven Spielberg had directed the movie.
The movie had been directed by him.
Penny Marshall had directed those movies.
The movies had been directed by her.
Future Perfect
Future Perfect
Jon will have finished it next month.
It will have been finished by Jon by next month.
They will have finished it by next week. It will have been finished by them by next week.
Change the active verbs to passive verbs in the sentences below.
Click on the Check Answers button.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Lina has written many poems.

Many poems
by Lina.
Maris had already returned the book to the library before they called her.
The book
already
to the library by Maris before they called her.
The secretary will have typed the letter before 5 pm.
The letter
Sara has knitted many sweaters.

by the secretary before 5 pm.

Many sweaters
by Sara.
The students will have written many compositions before they graduate.
Many compositions
by the students before they graduate.
By the year 1850, people had found gold in California.
By the year 1850, gold
Someone has broken the window.
The window
Frank has locked the door.

in California.
.

The door
by Frank.
Oh no! Someone has stolen my purse!
Oh no! My purse
!
The county will have built a new freeway before the year 2010.
A new freeway

before the year 2010.