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THE PASSIVE VOICE

1. Do you remember when the Passive is used? Read the information below.
- when the agent (the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant or
obvious from the context. The door had been locked.
- when we are interested more in the action than the agent, such as in news
reports, formal notices, instructions, processes, headlines, advertisements etc.
Breakfast is served from 6.00 to 10.30. (formal notice)
- to make statements more formal or polite. My new dress has been ruined.
(more polite than saying "You ruined my dress.")
- to put emphasis on the agent. The Pyramids were built by the ancient
Egyptians.
TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Active Voice
Passive Voice
PRESENT
Simple
Continuous

They serve dinner at 6.00.

They are serving dinner
now.
They have served dinner.

Dinner is served at 6.00.

Dinner is being served
now.
Dinner has been served.

Perfect
Cont.
PAST
Simple
Continuous
Perfect

They have been serving

dinner.

-----------

They served dinner.

They were serving dinner.
They had served dinner.

Dinner was served.

Dinner was being served.
Dinner had been served.

Perfect
Cont.
FUTURE
Simple
Perfect

They had been serving

dinner.

-----------

They will serve dinner.

They will have served
dinner.

Dinner will be served.

Dinner will have been
served.

Continuous
Perfect
Cont.
Pres.
infinitive

They will be serving dinner. ----------They will have been serving ----------dinner.
They should serve dinner.
Dinner should be served.

Perf.

They should have served

Perfect

Dinner should have been

infinitive

dinner.

served.

-ing form

He likes people serving his

dinner.

He likes his dinner being

served.

Perfect ing
Having served dinner,...
Dinner having been
form
served...
Modals
You must serve dinner.
Dinner must be served.
Note: Get is used in colloquial English instead of be to express something
happening by accident. He got hurt last Monday. (more usual than: He was hurt
last Monday.)
2. Write sentences in the passive as in the example:
1. (The floor/not clean/yet)
......The floor hasn't been cleaned yet...
2. (The politician/interview/now)
..............................................................
3. (The Mona Lisa/paint/Leonardo da Vinci) ..................................................
4. (My flat/burgle/last night)
...............................................................
5. (All tickets/sell/before we got there) ...........................................................
6. (The dog/not feed/yet)
.................................................................
7. (The presents/wrap/now)
................................................................
8. (The prizes/award/President/tomorrow) ...........................................
9. (Tea/grow/India)
..................................................................
10. (The prisoners/take/to prison/now) .........................................
3. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct passive form.
Something should 1) ...be done... (do) to protect holidaymakers from awful
experiences. So many articles 2)............................(write) so far in newspapers
and magazines warning tourists to guard against being victims of tricksters. The
brochure advertisements ought to 3)................. (approve) by ABTA before
4).............................. (publish) to ensure that the details which
5).............................. (give) aren't misleading or inaccurate. Mr and Mrs Brown
had a typical bad holiday experience. They arrived at the old hotel which was
situated in the middle of nowhere. The brochure claimed that it 6)
................................ (build) recently, but it was obvious that it was old. It
7)............................. (not/decorate) for years and the paint was peeling off the
walls. The previous owners had sold the hotel, which 8) ..............................
(buy) by an elderly couple. They 9)..................... (advise) by their children to
employ staff to manage it but, unfortunately, people 10)..............................
(still/interview) at the time when Mr and Mrs Brown arrived. Food
11)................................. (not/serve) in the restaurant and guests
12)............................... (expect) to make their own arrangements. As if that
wasn't enough, when they went to their rooms, they found the bed linen
8

13)..................................... (not/change) after the previous occupants. As far as

Mr and Mrs Brown were concerned the hotel should 14)..............................
(close) until adequate staff 15)............................................................... (employ).
It is certainly nothing like the hotel which 16)..................................................
(describe) in the brochure.
4. Rewrite the newspaper headlines as complete sentences.
1. DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST POLL TAX HELD LAST SUNDAY
2. ALL-DAY STRIKE TO BE HELD BY ELECTRICITY WORKERS
3. MISSING PAINTING NOT YET RECOVERED
4. CHILD RESCUED FROM QUICKSAND YESTERDAY
5. 1,000,000 BEING RAISED FOR HOMELESS IN L.A.
6. MEXICO CITY TO BE HIT BY HURRICANE TOMORROW
5. Change from the active into the passive. Omit the agent where it can be
omitted. Justify the omission or inclusion of the agent.
1. The Scots make the best fudge.... The best fudge is made by the Scots. (agent
not omitted; emphasis on the agent)
2. You should take these tablets before meals. ..................................................
3. You must wash coloured clothes separately. ...................................................
4. The teacher sent him out of the classroom. .....................................................
5. Thousands of British tourists will visit Spain this summer. ............................
6. The dentist pulled out my rotten tooth. ........................................................
7. The police are questioning him now. ............................................................
8. Someone has made a complaint. ................................................................
9. They had left the lights on. ...........................................................................
10. I broke my arm when I fell out of a tree. ......................................................
11. The horrible old man was slowly poisoning the cat. ..
12. The snow will have covered the mountains by Christmas..
13. The waitress serves breakfast at 7 am. .........................................................
14. Who delivered the parcel? .........................................................................
15. Her parents made her clean her room. .........................................................
16. They will have finished the work by tonight. ...............................................
17. Someone had warned her that she might lose her job. ...
18. Who discovered America? ..........................................................................
19. Who is going to feed your dog? ...................................................................
20. Who answered the phone? ............................................................................
21. Who did they give the prize to? ....................................................................
22. Which building are they going to knock down? ............................................
6. Fill in "by" or "with".
1. Most children are strongly influenced 9. The goal was scored.........
...by... their parents.
Liverpool's youngest player.
9

2. The jam sandwiches were made

.......... white bread.
3. Jake was dismissed .......... his boss.
4. The show was presented.......... Mr
Jones.
5. The parcels were tied .......... string.
6. The meal was eaten ..........
chopsticks.
7. The football fans were observed
.......... the police.
8. My hair was cut.......... a top stylist.

10. The beds were made up ..........

clean sheets.
11. The song was performed..........
Madonna.
12. This awful mess was
made.......... Carol's dog.
13. The supermarket trolley was
filled .......... cat food.
14. My camera was loaded ..........
a black and white film.

7. Complete the sentences using the passive and the verbs listed below:
must, shouldn't, might, can't
1. Has the rubbish been collected yet? - Well, it's not here now so it ...must have
been collected. .........
2. Did anyone tell David about the meeting? - He's written it in his diary so
he.......................................................
3. Has someone repaired the telephone? - I've just used it so
it...........................
4. Was Sue injured in the car accident? - She.............................................. I
heard there were a few casualties.
5. Did anyone move the accident victim? - Yes, but he................................... It
was a mistake to touch him.
6. Ted said someone stole his car. Is that true? - No. It........................................
................................ I've just seen him driving it.
8. How do we react when we have some bad news? It depends on the news.
Some things are more important than others, and we react to something serious
in a different way from something less serious, however unfortunate.
Have you heard that 300 people were killed when a plane crashed this morning?
Oh, how terrible!
I didnt get the job after all. Oh, what a pity!
If you reacted to the first situation with what a pity, people would think that
you were a strange person indeed!
One person gives the news; the other reacts in an appropriate way using the
following phrases:
OH NO! WHAT A PITY! WHAT A SHAME! WHAT A NUISANCE.
POOR YOU. HOW AWFUL! HOW TERRIBLE! IM REALLY SORRY TO
HEAR THAT. THAT MUSTVE BEEN AWFUL!
10

1. My girlfriend/sprain/ankle/first day/holiday. 2. All my money/steal/jacket

pocket. 3. My uncle/pass away/last week. 4. Someone I know at
work/tell/cancer. 5. I/steal/bike. 6. Someone/steal/car radio/lunchtime. 7. Several
hundred people/kill/yesterdays earthquake. 8. My sister/hit/mouth/car door/a
tooth/break.
Talk about what you say AND what you do when you hear very bad
news.
1. A friend tells you that there has just been a terrible earthquake
thousands of people are dead. 2. A friend tells you that she has just heard that
her mother has died. 3. A friend tells you that his house has been burgled. 4. A
friend tells you that his wifes car was broken down in the very centre of town.
Tell your partner a bad news and let him react.
9. Correct any verb forms which are impossible or inappropriate.
a) A lot of homes in the area have been being broken into by burglars.
have been broken into
b) As I drove south, I could see that the old road was rebuilding.
c) I suppose the letter will have been delivered by now. .......................................
d) There is nothing more annoying than been interrupted when you are speaking.
e) Jim was been given the sack from his new job.
f) Somehow without my noticing my wallet had been disappeared.
g) The new shopping centre was opened by the local MR.
h) A lot of meetings have been held, but nothing has being decided yet.
10. Both sentences in each pair have the same meaning. Complete the
second sentence.
a) The crowd was slowly filling the huge stadium.
The huge stadium was slowly being filled by the crowd.
b) The inventor of the computer simplified the work of the accountants.
Since the computer................... the work of accountants...................... simplified.
c) Someone has suggested that the shop should close.
It.............................................. that the shop should close.
d) 'I'd take out some travel insurance if I were you, Mr Smith.'
Mr Smith................................ take out some travel insurance.
e) The waitress will bring your drinks in a moment.
Your drinks.................................. in a moment.
f) Someone used a knife to open the window.
This window.......................................... a knife.
g) You will hear from us when we have finished dealing with your complaint.
After your complaint ........................................, you will hear from us.
11

h) An announcement of their engagement appeared in the local paper.

Their engagement ..................................... in the local paper.
i) Nobody ever heard anything of David again.
Nothing..................................................... David again.
j) They paid Sheila 1,000 as a special bonus.
1,000............................................ Sheila as a special bonus.
11. Rewrite each sentence in the passive, omitting the words underlined.
a) Someone left the phone off the hook all night.
The phone was left off the hook all night.
b) The government has announced that petrol prices will rise tomorrow.
c) A burglar broke into our house last week.
d) People asked me the way three times.
e) The fruit-pickers pick the apples early in the morning.
f) It's time the authorities did something about this problem.
g) Lots of people had parked their cars on the pavement.
h) The government agreed with the report and so they changed the law.
i) You have to fill in an application form.
j) They don't know what happened to the ship.
12. Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate passive verb form.
a) The boxes have not been packed (not/pack) yet.
b) Your food.............................................. (still/prepare).
c) The new ship.............................................. (launch) next week.
d) Luckily by the time we got there the painting.................................... (not/sell).
e) We had to go on holiday because our house..................................... (decorate).
f) I'm afraid that next week's meeting.............................................. (cancel).
g) If we don't hurry, all the tickets......................... (sell) by the time we get there.
h) All main courses.............................................. (serve) with vegetables or
salad. At least that is what is written on the menu.
i) The second goal................................ (score) by Hughes in the 41st minute.
j) The cathedral.............................................. (build) in the fourteenth century.
13. Underline any uses of the agent which are unnecessary.
a) My jewellery has been stolen by a thief!
b) It has been decided by the authorities that Wednesday will be a school
holiday.
c) Harry was pushed over by someone standing next to him in the queue.
d) The goods are transported by rail to our warehouse in the Midlands.
e) I was told by someone that you have a vacancy for a computer operator.
f) Sue has been picked by the selectors for the national event.
g) The letter was sent by post on the 21st of last month.
12

h) The larger portrait was painted by a little-known Flemish artist.

i) It has been agreed by everyone that no smoking should be allowed.
j) As I arrived at the conference a note was handed to me by one of the
delegates.
14. Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate passive verb form.
a) Nothing has been seen (see) of Pauline since her car........................................
............ (find) abandoned near Newbury last week.
b) As our new furniture.............................................. (deliver) on Monday
morning I'll have to stay at home to check that it ..............................................
(not/damage) during transit.
c) The new Alhambra hatchback, which in this country........................................
............... (sell) under the name 'Challenger', .............................................. (fit)
with electric windows as standard.
d) For the past few days I.............................................. (work) in Jack's office, as
my own office .............................................. (redecorate).
e) It.............................................. (announce) that the proposed new office block
.............................................. (now/not/build) because of the current economic
situation.
f) A major new deposit of oil.............................................. (discover) in the
North Sea. It.............................................. (think) to be nearly twice the size of
the largest existing field.
g) Pictures of the surface of the planet Venus...........................................
(receive)
yesterday
from
the
space
probe
'Explorer'
which
....................................... (launch) last year.
h) A large sum.............................................. (raise) for the Fund by a recent
charity concert but the target of 250,000 .............................................. (still/
not/reach).
i)
No decision.............................................. (make) about any future
appointment until all suitable candidates ..............................................
(interview).
15. Rewrite each sentence in a more formal style so that it contains a
passive form of the word given in capitals.
a) Sorry, but we've lost your letter.
MISLAY
Unfortunately your letter has been mislaid.
b) The police are grilling Harry down at the station.
QUESTION

c) They've found the remains of an old Roman villa nearby.

DISCOVER
d) You'll get a rise in salary after six months.
RAISE

e) They stopped playing the match after half an hour.

ABANDON
13


f) They stopped traffic from using the centre.
BAN

g) They took Chris to court for dangerous driving.

PROSECUTE

h) You usually eat this kind of fish with a white sauce.

SERVE

i) I don't know your name.

INTRODUCE

16. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable active or passive verb form.
Dear Mrs Patel,
We are delighted to inform you that you (1) have been selected (select) for a
free holiday. According to our information, you (2)..............................................
(answer) a telephone survey last month, as a result of which your name (3)
.............................................. (enter) in the holiday draw. Now our computer
(4).............................................. (choose) your name, so you and your family (5)
.............................................. (invite) to spend a week in a European destination
of your choice. This offer (6).............................................. (make) on the
condition that you attend a special promotions day with other lucky families in
your region who (7).............................................. (offer) a similar deal. You
(8).............................................. (ask) to attend on any Saturday next month at
the Royal Hotel, Manchester. If you (9).............................................. (interest) in
attending and taking up this offer, please (10) ...................................... (detach)
the slip below and return it to us as soon as possible.
17. Using the notes as a guide, complete the e-mail to all company staff. Put
the verbs in brackets into a suitable passive verb form.
NOTES FROM MANAGEMENT MEETING
Tell staff:
We'll try flexi-time for 3 months.
After 3 months we'll get the opinions of all staff.
We'll look at feedback comments and make a decision.
We may try it for another month.
All workers will have to arrive 8 9.30.
We hope you like the idea!
FROM: The Managing Director
TO: All staff
It (1) has been decided (decide) to adopt a flexi-time system for a trial
period of three months. After this period (2)..............................................
14

(elapse) all members of staff (3) .............................................. (consult) through

their line manager, and feedback (4) .............................................. (seek).
Comments (5).............................................. (collect) and analysed before a
decision (6) .............................................. (make) as to whether the system (7)
.............................................. (adopt) permanently or not. Alternatively, the trial
period (8).............................................. (extend) for a further month. All
employees (9).............................................. (require) to arrive between the hours
of 8.00 and 9.30, and to leave after they have fulfilled their contractual
obligations of eight hours. It (10).............................................. (hope) that this
arrangement meets with your enthusiastic approval!
18. Decide whether the sentences in each pair have the same meaning.
a) I've just been to the hairdresser's. What do you think?
I've just cut my hair at the hairdresser's. What do you think?
different
b) Someone is painting our house at the moment.
We are painting our house at the moment.
..............
c) The dentist is going to take out two of my teeth tomorrow.
I'm having two teeth taken out tomorrow.
..............
d) The teacher made us all tidy up.
We were made to tidy up by the teacher.
..............
e) The car is thought to have been stolen by joy-riders.
Joy-riders are thought to have stolen the car.
..............
f) Just a minute. I'll ask someone to wrap this for you.
Just a minute. I'll have to wrap this up for you.
.............
g) The car hasn't been serviced for a long time.
We haven't had the car serviced for a long time.
.............
h) They're coming to put in a new water-heater next week.
We're putting in a new water-heater next week.
.............
i) Would you consider having plastic surgery to alter your nose?
Would you consider having your nose altered by plastic surgery?
.............
j) A qualified electrician checked the wiring.
We had checked the wiring with a qualified electrician.
.............
19. Underline the correct word in each sentence.
a) The busy shopping street was thronged by/with people.
b) The emergency exit was concealed by/from a red curtain.
c) The price of excursions is included in/with the cost of the holiday.
d) All through January, the fields were covered by/from snow.
e) The room was crammed by/with furniture of all descriptions.
f) Two of the climbers were injured by/with falling rocks.
g) The island is inhabited by/from people of mainly Chinese origin.
h) The bank was quickly surrounded from/with armed police.
15

i) The window had been smashed from/with a hammer taken from the shed.
j) The stadium was packed from/with cheering fans.
20. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.
a) The treasure is thought to date from the thirteenth century.
date
It is thought to date from the thirteenth century.
b) Your hair needs cutting.
get
You .................................................................................................... cut.
c) Jill's parents are making her study hard.
made Jill ......................................................................................... her parents.
d) Apparently the ship did not sustain any damage.
appears The ship .............................................................................. any damage.
e) It is thought that the two injured men were repairing overhead cables.
have
The two injured men ..................................................... overhead cables.
f) There is a rumour that the escaped prisoner is living in Spain.
be
The escaped prisoner ....................................................... living in Spain.
g) We have agreed to meet again in a fortnight.
will
It has ................................................................ meet again in a fortnight.
h) We decided to try again later.
would It was ................................................................................ try again later.
i) There is confirmation of Mr Jackson's intended resignation.
that
It is ........................................................................................... to resign.
j) Most of the committee thought it was not a viable solution.
not
It was thought ................................................. by most of the committee.
21. Rewrite each sentence so that it ends with the word underlined.
a) Another company has taken over our company.
Our company has been taken over.
b) We are dealing with your complaint.
c) We have not accounted for all the missing passengers.
d) Someone had tampered with the lock of the front door.
e) We don't know how they disposed of the body.
f) I must insist that you keep to the rules.
g) We are looking into this allegation.
h) We will frown upon any attempts to cheat in the exam.
i) The youngest student complained that people were picking on him.
j) Ann was well provided for in her husband's will.
22. Complete each sentence with a suitable preposition.
a) The tree had been decorated with coloured balls.
b) The answers have been included....................... the book.
16

c) After the rugby match, Jim's shorts were covered....................... mud.

d) The victim was struck from behind....................... a heavy object.
e) The house was built...................... money that David borrowed from the bank.
f) The cat narrowly escaped being run over....................... a car.
g) When the accident happened, Sue was struck....................... flying glass.
h) The turkey was stuffed....................... chestnuts, and was very tasty.
i) No one knew that Peter had been involved....................... the investigation.
j) When I left the casino, my pockets were crammed.....................money.
23. Complete the text using the phrases from the box.
was obliged to
are believed to have been
is known to have
experienced
is not known
are thought to be
was packed
is thought to have been
was seen
were made to
was brought
A plane carrying 15 members of the government to a conference in Brussels
(1) is known to have experienced a small-scale fire earlier this morning. The
plane (2) ................................................. about 20 minutes into its journey when
the fire occurred in the luggage area. It (3) .................................................... how
the plane caught fire, but initial eyewitness accounts confirm that a trail of
smoke (4) ............................................ coming from the under-carriage. The fire
(5) ............................................. rapidly under control, but the pilot (6)
........................................... make an emergency landing. Five people (7)
.............................................
treated
for
shock.
The
plane
(8)
.......................................... with business people flying to Belgium. All 209
passengers (9) ................................................ stay behind for questioning after
landing at a military airport in northern France. Police (10)
....................................................... treating the incident as suspicious.
24. Read the following information and explain what the causative from is?
David arranged for the builder to build a shed. David had a shed built. (He
didnt do it himself the builder did it.)
HAVE + OBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE
Active Voice
Causative Form
present
Simple
She paints her portrait.
She has her portrait painted.
Cont.
She is painting her portrait
She is having her portrait
now.
painted.
Perfect
She has painted her portrait.
She has had her portrait
painted.
Perfect
She has been painting her
She has been having her portrait
Cont.
portrait.
painted.
past
17

Simple
Cont.

She painted her portrait.

She was painting her portrait.

Perfect

She had painted her portrait.

Perfect
Cont.

She had been painting her

portrait.
future
She will paint her portrait.

Simple
Cont.

She will be painting her

portrait.

Infinitive

She can paint her portrait.

She had her portrait painted.

She was having her portrait
painted.
She had had her portrait
painted.
She had been having her
portrait painted.
She will have her portrait
painted.
She will be having her portrait
painted.

She can have her portrait

painted.
-ing form
She likes painting her portrait. She likes having her portrait
painted.
The verb to have, used in the causative, forms its negations and questions
with do/does (Pr Simple) and did (Past Simple).
She doesnt have her hair dyed. Did you have your curtains put up?
We can use the causative instead of the passive to express accidents or
misfortunes.
She had her car stolen. (= Her car was stolen.)
He had his leg broken. (= His leg was broken.)
Get can be used instead of have in the causative. I had/got my tooth taken out
yesterday. Get is stronger in meaning than have and can be used to suggest
difficulty. Get the door repaired, will you? He finally got the seats booked.
Make/have + object + bare infinitive are used to express that someone
causes someone else' do something, but their meaning is slightly different.
He made Ann type the letter. (He insisted that Ann should type the letter.)
He had Ann type the letter. (He asked Ann to type the letter.)
Get + object + to-infinitive is used to show that someone persuades someone
else to do something.
He got his mum to bake him a cake. (He persuaded his mum to bake him a
cake.)
25. Read the situations, then write sentences using the causative form.
1. Our house is small. We need to build an extension. What should we do? ...We
should have an extension built.....
2. Liz is at the beauty parlour. The beautician is painting her nails. What is she
doing?
18

3. Wilt has written a novel and it's going to be published. What is Wilt going to
do?
4. A jeweller has made a special wedding ring for Ann. What has Ann done?
5. Simon's suits are all made by a tailor. What does Simon do?
6. They have been burgled three times. Putting in a burglar alarm would help.
What should they do?
7. Tina's boots have a hole in them. She can't wear them until they are mended.
What should she have done?
8. Sonia is going to the optician for an eye test tomorrow. What's she going to
do?
9. Trevor has paid a technician to install his computer. What has he done?
10. They had arranged for their house to be cleaned by the end of the week. Now
it is clean. What had they done?
11. The grass has grown too much. What should they have done?
12. His tooth was filled yesterday. What happened to him?
13. No one has informed them of the meeting. What should he have done for
them?
26. Kate Gilmore is a poor young actress. Lily Showbourne is a rich star.
Kate does everything herself while Lily pays other people to do it. Write
what Lily says.
Kate Gilmore
Lily Showbourne
1. I dyed my hair yesterday.
1. I had my hair dyed yesterday. ...
2. I make all my costumes.
2.
3. I enjoy entertaining people.
3
4. Im going to cook dinner tonight.
4
5. I like doing my make-up.
5
6. Ill send some flowers to my
6
mother.
7. I had painted my flat before I
7
moved in.
8. Ill manicure my nails.
8
9. I write letters to my fans.
9
10. I make my bed every morning.
10
27. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets in the appropriate
form.
1. Eating too much chocolate makes me ...feel... (feel) sick.
2. Mr Smith had his English lessons......................... (pay) for by his company.
3. My mother had her skirts..................................... (shorten).
4. My mother had a dressmaker..................................... (shorten) her skirts.
5. Tom made Julie..................................... (help) him wash up.
19

6. I had an old dress.............................................. (alter).

7. Emily got her friend..................................... (help) her move the sofa.
8. I had the optician..................................... (mend) my glasses.
9. I had my glasses................................... (mend).
10. Tracy made George..................................... (wear) his glasses.
11. Nicky had Maria..................................... (tell) her the secret.
12. Joanne had the maid ..................................... (make) her bed.
28. Rephrase the following using have, make or get as in the example:
1. He insisted that John should finish the report. He made John finish the report.
2. She asked him to fix the tap.
3. She persuaded her husband to cut the grass.
4. My teeth were polished yesterday.
5. He asked her to make his bed.
6. He insisted that the gardener should water the flowers.
7. The teacher asked them to rewrite the exercise.
8. The boss insisted that the secretary should type the letters.
9. Their new carpets were fitted yesterday.
10. She persuaded John to help her tidy the room.
11. He finally found a plumber to mend his toilet.
12. He persuaded his assistant to work late.
29. Four young college students have bought an old double-decker bus and
they are in the process of converting it into a mobile home so that they can
tour Europe in it this summer. Look at the picture (pic. 1) and notes, and
then make sentences in the passive as in the example:
windows replaced, blinds put up, tyres repaired, door being put on, bus
being painted, lights being repaired, roof removed, toilet and shower to be
installed, new seats to be put in

20

Pic. 1
Example: The windows have been replaced, etc
30. The town Hall is under restoration. It has to be opened by June. Look at
the cues below then make sentences using the causative form.
alarm system / fit / recently
new entrance hall / build / at this time
central heating / install / already
new furniture / deliver / before the next council meeting
plumbing / renew / at the moment
walls / paint / next month
new carpet / lay / by May
paintings / put up / in April
outside of the building / clean / last week
windows and doors / replace / already
Example: We have had an alarm system fitted recently.
21

31. You are a secretary at the Town Hall. Write a report to the mayor
informing him of the progress of the restoration work on the Town Hall.
To:
The mayor
From: Mrs Janet Jones
Subject: Restoration work on the Town Hall
Regarding the progress of the restoration work on the Town Hall, I have to
report the following:
We have had an alarm system fitted recently and

22

HOME EXERCISES
1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct passive form.
Last week a new leisure centre 1) ...was opened... (open) in the town of Halden.
The centre 2)..................... (believe) to be the largest in Europe and it
3)..................... (hope) that it 4).................................... (visit) by over 40,000
people a month. The centre 5)..................................... (plan) for over ten years,
but it 6).................... (only/make) possible by a large government grant.
Unfortunately, it 7)..................................... (not/finish) yet, but it 8).....................
(think) that it 9)................................... (complete) by next month. The centre
includes an Olympic-size swimming pool and fifty tennis courts which
10).................................. (can/book) by phone. The gym 11).....................
(claim) to be the most modern in the country. The equipment
12)................................ (buy) in Germany and training 13) .............................
(provide) by five top instructors. Entrance fees are cheap because half the cost
14)...................................... (pay) by the local council, so many local people will
be able to afford them.
2. Turn the following into the passive as in the example:
1. The policeman gave me a ticket.
I was given a ticket by the
policeman.
A ticket was given to me by the
policeman.
2. The waiter is serving them dinner
now.
They.............................................
Dinner...............................................
3. The teacher won't show him his
marks.
He..............................................

His marks.....................................
4. Ken offered Janet a ride.
Janet.................................................
A ride.................................................
5. Miss Price has taught Annie a new
dance step.
Annie.....................................................
A new dance step..................................
6. They should have ordered you a
taxi.
You........................................................
A taxi.....................................................

3. Rewrite the following passage in the passive.

My parents own the best restaurant in our town. Last weekend my father
dismissed the head waiter as he had stolen some stock from the cellar. My father
is going to hire a new waiter as he is doing all the work by himself at the
moment. He asked me to help serve the food. However, I mixed up all the orders
and the customers made several complaints. I'm sure my father will never ask
me to help him again!

23

4. Fill in the right form of the verbs in brackets.

Sara Arrives
I ............ always.............. well ...........................(to taken care of). Since my
father died of a heart attack, my two older sisters and my mother
. (to take care) of me, their little boy. When my sisters
(to get married) and .. (to move) out of the apartment,
it was just Mama and I sitting alone at night listening to the neighbors fight next
door. When I . (to finish) college and went to the Police Academy,
Mama was really proud. She .. (to think) that I . (to get) a
job in the city and be able to stay next to her. But when recruiters . (to
come) from Arizona, I . (to offer) a job in Flagstaff.
"Where is that girl?" Eleanor . (to look) out the window for Sara. "She
ought to (to be) here by now." "Give her time. You're always after
your sister. Let her alone." Mama .. (to get up) from her chair and
.. (to move) over to the sink and .. (to begin) putting away the
dishes she (to wash) earlier. "She . (to come) when she
. (to can). She has that new baby at home, you know. You can't just up
and leave a new baby, you know."
"She can get a babysitter." My sister walked over to my mother to help put the
dishes in the cabinet. "They make enough money to get a babysitter."
"You can't trust just anyone to stay with your children. You .. (to find
out) that." Mama .. (to return) to her chair and .. (to begin)
rearranging the things on the table. She . (to avoid) looking at me.
"Dwight, come here and help me. Your mother .. (to get lazy) in her
old age." "Nothing lazy about me. There's just no need to put those dishes away
now. I . (to have) plenty of time when I (to be) alone."
My mother's lack of humor......................... (to match) by her capability to
produce guilt. It was sad to see an independent woman like my mother with a
dependent image of herself.
"Mama, how can you say you . (to be) all alone? Why, every child
on this street is in and out of your apartment all day long looking for treats from
your cookie jar. And in the evening you .. (play) cards and bingo with
the ladies on the street. How can you say you (to be alone)? You
should be happy that you (not to have to pick up) after this boy here."
"Who are you calling 'boy'?"
"You think just because you're going off to be a police detective in Arizona that
you aren't our little boy. Just don't you forget who looked after you..."
"Stop your picking on him; let him have a little peace his last few minutes here."
The teasing . (to interrupt) by Sara's coming into the room with her
little daughter Jeannie asleep in her arms. The entrance of the grandchild
.. (to shift) the focus from me to her, and my mother immediately
.. (to take) charge of the child's welfare. "Sara, what ..you
24

 (to mean) by dressing that child in that light outfit? Why, she'll catch
a draft and get sick in that..."
"Mama, she's all right. I .just (to put) her in the bedroom
where she can sleep." The child shifted in her mother's arms, but . (not
to wake up).
I (to follow) Sara into the bedroom and .. (to watch) her
lay my niece in the middle of the old bed. I knew that the next time I saw my
niece she would be walking and talking. My sister put a lightweight sheet over
her and holding her fingers to her lips, she motioned for me to follow her back
into the kitchen.
5. Use the active or the passive in any appropriate form of the verbs in
brackets.
1. Although the cheetah is the fastest animal in the world, it is in danger of
becoming extinct if it continues ...to be killed... (kill) for its skin.
2. The children.................................. (frighten) by the story. It was about ghosts,
witches and evil spirits.
3. Derek crashed his mother's car, and now they can't go on holiday.
It................................
(cannot/repair)
quickly,
because
the
front
end.................................. (knock) into the wheel, making it unmovable.
4. Yesterday we had a surprise party for Albert's birthday. While
Mary.................................. (take) him to a show, we ..................................
(gather) at his apartment. When they.................................. (return) home, Albert
was surprised to see us all there.
5. The scandal is certain.................................. (report) in all the newspapers.
The president.......................... (have) a difficult year.
6. Joan is an example of someone who can beat the odds. In 1980,
she.................................. (tell) she had six months to live because she had
cancer.
After
exercise,
dieting
and
positive
thinking
she............................................. (recently/inform) that she ..................................
(beat) the disease.
7. This newspaper................................ (publish) by an Italian company.
It................................ (always/have) interesting stories.
8. Rice........................... (grow) in this area for hundreds of years, but now the
government...........................(try) to find an alternative crop because rice
.................................. (not/make) much profit last year.
9. My shoes.................................. (make) in Italy, but I..................................
(buy) them in France last May.
10. The Queen............................................... (not/see) since last July. The
newspapers.................................. (say) that she is sick, but most people
....................................................... (not/believe) it.
25

6. Rewrite the following passage in the passive.

The Government made an important decision last night. They will ban all cars
from the centre of town as pollution is seriously affecting people's health. They
will allow only bicycles and buses to enter the town centre. They are making
plans for a new environmental police force. After all, they must do something
before it's too late.
7. Rewrite the following sentences in the passive as in the example:
1. Police use trained dogs to find drugs. ...Trained dogs are used by the police
to find drugs.
2. Nurses give the patients their medicine every morning.
3. A lifeguard rescued the drowning boy.
4. An electrician is repairing our water heater.
5. A defence lawyer will represent you.
6 . They clean the rooms daily.
7. Customs officers searched her suitcases.
8. Hijackers were holding the plane passengers hostage.
9. A gas leak had caused the explosion.
10. An eyewitness gave the police a full report.
11. The government has increased the tax on cigarettes.
12. They are going to launch the product in May.
8. Rewrite the following passage in the passive.
James Fitt witnessed a horrific plane crash last night. The fire brigade fought the
wreckage fire while ambulance men rescued surviving passengers. Ambulances
took all the survivors to hospital. No one knows yet what caused the plane to
crash. Newspaper and TV reporters have already interviewed many of the
survivors. The Civil Aviation Authority has launched a full investigation. They
say that someone may have put a bomb on board the aircraft. They hope that the
aircraft's "black box" will provide the vital information but they haven't found it
yet. They are continuing the search.
9. Make passive sentences using the words in brackets.
1. Were there many people invited to the party? - Yes, about 50 people were
invited.... (about 50/people/invite)
2. Where is the accounts department? - Oh, it.................................................
(move/to the fifth floor).
3. What happened to that old woman? - She.....................................................
(attack/and/rob).
4. Why does she look so happy? - She ......................................(promote/to
manageress).
26

5. What will happen to the old farmhouse? - It.................................................

(pull down).
6. Where are James and Simon? - They.............................................................
(send/to the London office/last month).
10. Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate passive verb form.
a) Nothing has been seen (see) of Pauline since her car....................................
(find) abandoned near Newbury last week.
b) As our new furniture.............................................. (deliver) on Monday
morning I'll have to stay at home to check that it ...........................................
(not/damage) during transit.
c) The new Alhambra hatchback, which in this country............................ (sell)
under the name 'Challenger', ................................... (fit) with electric windows as
standard.
d) For the past few days I.............................................. (work) in Jack's office, as
my own office .............................................. (redecorate).
e) It.............................................. (announce) that the proposed new office block
.................................. (now/not/build) because of the current economic situation.
f) A major new deposit of oil.............................................. (discover) in the
North Sea. It.......................... (think) to be nearly twice the size of the largest
existing field.
g) Pictures of the surface of the planet Venus....................................... (receive)
yesterday from the space probe 'Explorer' which ................................. (launch)
last year.
h) A large sum........................................ (raise) for the Fund by a recent charity
concert but the target of 250,000 ...................................... (still/ not/reach).
i) No decision.............................................. (make) about any future appointment
until all suitable candidates .............................................. (interview).
11. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. You can use two to five
words.
1. Oxford beat Manchester United in the Cup Final yesterday.
beaten Manchester United ...were beaten by Oxford... in the Cup Final
yesterday.
2. Now that I wear contact lenses, the optician tests my eyes every three
months.
have
Now that I wear contact lenses, I .................................. every three
months.
3. It's possible to obtain concert tickets from most major music stores.
obtained Concert tickets .................................................. from most major music
stores.
4. Someone stole Mary's briefcase from her office while she was out.
27

had
Mary ............................................................... from her office while she
was out.
5. The head teacher insisted that all the pupils wear school uniform.
made
The head teacher................................................................. school
uniform.
6. Someone should have already made all the arrangements for the business
meeting.
been
All the arrangements ................................................. for the business
meeting.
7. The dentist extracted two of Steve's teeth yesterday.
got
Steve ................................................................................. yesterday.
8. Peter had fed the dog by the time Sheila came back.
been The dog ............................................................. by the time Sheila came
back.
9. It is said that this diet is rich in vitamins.
be
This diet ................................................................... rich in vitamins.
10. Her dress needs shortening before the wedding.
shortened
She needs to .................................................................. before the
wedding
11. Flooding has damaged many major roads in the city.
have Many major roads in the city ....................................................... flooding.
12. Most people think society's problems are the result of unemployment.
thought It ....................................... society's problems are the result of
unemployment.
13. The bus driver insisted that the noisy passenger get off the bus.
made The noisy passenger ................................................................ the bus.
14. He persuaded his brother to lend him his car.
got
He .................................................................................. him his car.
15. Someone spilt fruit juice over Sophie's new white dress.
had Sophie ........................................................... over her new white dress.
12. Rewrite each sentence so that it ends with the word underlined.
a) Another company has taken over our company. Our company has been taken
over.
b) We are dealing with your complaint.
c) We have not accounted for all the missing passengers.
d) Someone had tampered with the lock of the front door.
e) We don't know how they disposed of the body.
f) I must insist that you keep to the rules.
g) We are looking into this allegation.
h) We will frown upon any attempts to cheat in the exam.
i) The youngest student complained that people were picking on him.
28

j) Ann was well provided for in her husband's will.

13. Complete the sentences using the passive and the verbs listed below:
must, shouldn't, might, can't
1. Has the rubbish been collected yet? - Well, it's not here now so it ...must have
been collected. .........
2. Did anyone tell David about the meeting? - He's written it in his diary so he
3. Has someone repaired the telephone? - I've just used it so it
4. Was Sue injured in the car accident? She I heard there were a few
casualties.
5. Did anyone move the accident victim? - Yes, but he It was a mistake to
touch him.
6. Ted said someone stole his car. Is that true? - No. It I've just seen him
driving it.
14. Write sentences as in the example:
1. John will have someone bring him the post. ...John will have the post brought
to him.
2. Did Sheila ask the dressmaker to make her a dress?
3. When will his photographs be developed?
4. The decorators are decorating Tim's house at the moment.
5. Your car needs to be serviced.
6. The gardener was pruning Bob's bushes.
7. The manager had asked the secretary to book a room for him.
8. I paid someone to fix the roof of my house.
9. Let's ask the porter to carry the luggage to the taxi.
10. Larry has got the plastic surgeon to remove his tattoo.
11. A nurse took her temperature.
12. The make-up artist was applying the model's lipstick.
13. Ask the cook to prepare the vegetables.
14. Have you told the accountant to check the figures?
15. Jim hates the teacher correcting his mistakes.
16. Did the beautician paint Joanne's nails?
17. He told the maid to serve breakfast in his room.
18. Dad was late because the garage had been servicing his car.
19. Pam is going to tell someone to repair the pipes.
20. My parents' house was burgled last Monday.
21. He used to employ a chef who cooked his meals.
22. Does your mother ask for her shopping to be delivered to her house?
23. Did you pay an artist to paint a portrait of your family?
24. Do you employ someone to clean your house?
25. Did you tell the tailor to make a suit for you?
29

15. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.
a) The treasure is thought to date from the thirteenth century.
date
It is thought to date from the thirteenth century.
b) Your hair needs cutting.
get
You ................................................................................................ cut.
c) Jill's parents are making her study hard.
made Jill ............................................................................. her parents.
d) Apparently the ship did not sustain any damage.
appears The ship .................................................................. any damage.
e) It is thought that the two injured men were repairing overhead cables.
have
The two injured men ................................................. overhead cables.
f) There is a rumour that the escaped prisoner is living in Spain.
be
The escaped prisoner ................................................. living in Spain.
g) We have agreed to meet again in a fortnight.
will
It has ....................................................... meet again in a fortnight.
h) We decided to try again later.
would It was ......................................................................... try again later.
i) There is confirmation of Mr Jackson's intended resignation.
that
It is .................................................................................. to resign.
j) Most of the committee thought it was not a viable solution.
not
It was thought ................................................. by most of the committee.
16. Write your friend a letter telling him what has been done, is being done
or will be done to convert the double-decker bus into a mobile home and
invite him on the tour round Europe.
Dear Sam,
I can't tell you how excited we all are. Last month we bought an old doubledecker bus to convert into a mobile home so that we can tour Europe in it this
summer. So far the windows have been replaced
17. Translate from Russian into English.
1.
to be

.
Letters are delivered every day. The patient was operated on by a famous
surgeon. Roger has been given his promotion.
2. will,
can, must , , have to, be going to, want to
the Passive Infinitive:
The book is going to be sent abroad. Tim might be asked to participate in the
30

conference. The grass wants to be cut.

3. + Perfect Infinitive
, .
1. .
2. .
3. - (to delay) (due to)
(deterioration) (international
situation).
4. ,
.
5. (validity) (to extend),
(consulate).
6. (the Youth Games)
1998 100 (adult)
.
7. (to fry) ,
(bast-basket) (raspberry).
8. .
9. ,
(during the move).
10. , .
11. - ? , .
12. ,
.
13. .
14.
.
15. , ,
Microsoft .
16. .
17.
1970 .
18. .
19. .
.
20. .
18. Rewrite the text using the passive where possible. Make sure the words
underlined do not appear.
Nobody knows exactly when someone invented gunpowder. People know for a
31

fact that the Chinese made rockets and fireworks long before people used
gunpowder in Europe, which occurred at about the beginning of the thirteenth
century. We generally believe that gunpowder brought to an end the 'Age of
Chivalry', since anyone with a firearm could bring down a mounted knight. In
fact, people did not develop efficient firearms until the sixteenth century. They
used gunpowder mainly in siege cannon when people first introduced it. Later
they used it in engineering work and in mining, but they found that it was
extremely dangerous. Modern explosives have now replaced gunpowder, but we
still use it for making fireworks, just as the Chinese did.

32

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Evans V. Round-up Grammar Practice 6. Longman, 1998.
2. Evans V, Dooley J. Upstream intermediate. Express publishing, 2002.
3. Fuch M. Focus on grammar: An intermediate course for reference and
practice / Marjorie Fuch, Margaret Bonner, Miriam Westheimer. Longman,
2000.
4. Keller E., Warner S. Conversational Gambits /
: . : , 2001.
5. Vince M., Sunderland P. Advanced language practice with key. Macmillan,
2003.
6. Hornby A.S. Oxford advanced learners dictionary of current English.
Oxford University Press, 1995.
7. .. Modern English Grammar. Practical Course.
. .
: . 3- ., . .:
, 2004.
8. .. English Idioms = : . /
.. , .. , .. . .: ,
2004.
9. (Interesting, Isnt It?): /. .. ,
.. . .: -, 2001.

33

CONTENTS
THE PASSIVE VOICE...3
HOME EXERCISES.....19
BIBLIOGRAPHY..........29

34