Eng Gram 2: WC5: Passive Voice

Exercise 1: Rewrite the sentences in the passive, omitting the words in brackets.
Preserve the tense/aspect form used in the original sentence

  1. The theatre was opened only last month

  2. This fact is very well known

  3. It will soon be forgotten

  4. What should be done in such cases (modal verb + passive infinitive)

  5. The vacancy has already been filled

  6. Was the situation ever made clear to you

  7. This type of computer is now being manufactured in many European countries

  8. I don’t think it can be done

  9. Have all the necessary arrangements been made

  10. The secret could not possibly have been known (could: modal verb, followed by an infinitive

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences with a passive construction, using the verbs given and in the form suggested. (NB. The term 'infinitive' includes the infinitive without 'to'.)

  1. Much of London was destroyed by fire in the 17th century

  2. are being demolished

  3. be respected (modal + infinitive)

  4. has been instructed

  5. was being victimized

  6. had been bitten, was given

  7. will have been build

  8. being treated

  9. was saved

  10. be discontinued

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences using the passive form of the verbs in italics.

  1. The search was given up after three hours

  2. That ought to have been pointed out to me at the very beginning (modal verb + perfect infinitive)

  3. That question was not brought up at the meeting

  4. The matter should be looked into (modal + present infinitive)

  5. I was shocked to hear that your house had been broken into

  6. Don’t speak until you are spoken to

  7. Every penny you spent must be accounted for (modal + present infinitive)

Exercise 4: Rewrite the sentences in the passive, making the words in italics the
subject of the sentence or clause in which they appear.

  1. The child was shown how to use a telephone

  2. He was declared ‘persona non grata’ and was allowed only 48 hours to leave the country

  3. Why was he not offered the job?

  4. Weren’t you promised a rise in salary at the beginning of the year?

  5. When he looked at the stamps, he found he had been sold forgeries.

  6. What were you paid for doing the job?

  7. That boy must be teached a lesson! (modal + present infinitive)

Exercise 5: Rewrite the sentences in an alternative form, beginning your
sentences with the words in italics

  1. He is said to be an honest, hard-working man

  2. Some redundancies in the Company are now thought to be inevitable

  3. The statements he had made were proved to be false (by the investigation)

  4. The delegation was understood to be keen to meet the British prime minister

  5. The Chancellor was believed to be thinking of imposing new taxes to raise extra revenue.

  6. Several Japanese manufacturers are reported to be planning to set up plants overseas

  7. The brewers are expected to raise the price of beer in the near future

Exercise 6: Rewrite the sentences using a form of have or get with the past
participle of a suitable verb, making any other necessary changes.

  1. You should arrange to have central heating installed before winter comes. → have central heating installed

  2. He is arranging for an artist to have his wife’s portrait painted / having his wife’s portrait painted

  3. Drive carefully if you don't want to risk having your licence endorsed again.

  4. The tree was so diseased that we had have it cut down

  5. The authorities are encouraging parents to get the vaccination of their children arranged

  6. They are having Daphne’s new car delivered tomorrow

  7. This book had all the answers written in

Exercise 7: Reformulate the following active clauses using mediopassive

  1. These bed-lamps attach and adjust easily

  2. Nice photographs of this landscape can be made / the landscape photographs nicely

  3. The chicken will defrost in four hours

  4. This paint sprays easily