1. Rephrase the following sentences by means of the passive.

1.

Everybody wears practical clothes.

_______________________________________________________
2.

Designers have followed the trends.

_______________________________________________________
3.

You may hurt someone with that hammer.

_______________________________________________________
4.

He told the children a beautiful story.

_______________________________________________________
5.

We have proved our point.

_______________________________________________________
6.

Will you read this book?

_______________________________________________________
2. Rephrase the sentences in two ways.
1.

He gave Celia a bouquet of 25 roses.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2.

John will send his curriculum vitae to several banks.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3.

She has written him beautiful love letters.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4.

They showed me the new computer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5.

They have paid him $300 up to now.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6.

He had told the children a beautiful story.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

1.
Practical clothes are worn by everybody.
followed by designers.

2.

The trends have been

3.
Someone may be / get hurt with that hammer.
told a beautiful story.
5.
Our point has been proved.
-----------------------------

6.

4.

The children were

Will this book be read by you?

1.
A bouquet of 25 roses was given to Celia. / Celia was given a bouquet of 25
roses.
2.

Johns CV will be sent to several banks. / Several banks will be sent Johns CV.

3.
Beautiful love letters have been written to him. / He has been written
beautiful love letters.
4.

The new computer was shown to me. / I was shown the new computer.

5.

$300 has been paid to him up to now. / He has been paid $300 up to now.

6.
A beautiful story had been told to the children. / The children had been told a
beautiful story.
KEY:

1) This book was published by Penguin Readers in 1990.

2) Mary is informed about the test results (by Susan).

3) The exercises couldnt be done by them on their own.
4) The Taylors are going to be invited (by the Smiths) on Christmas Eve.
5) The paintings by Picasso have been stolen (by the burglars).
6) The dogs will not be treated badly (by us).
having breakfast.

7) Susans teeth are brushed before

8) Skirts are sewed by Rachel for her children.

for his dad.

9) The lawn was mowed by Tim

10) The home-exercises hopefully will not be done for the children by their mothers.
11) A company had been founded by them on their own.
12) The boy has been disappointed by his girlfriend, unfortunately.
13) A house in Scotland was bought by my uncle.
14) The home-exercises are always immediately done after school by Zoe. (Zoes
home-exercises)
15) The map of London had been carefully studied by Paula.
Reuters News Agency
Martin Webb has worked (work) for the Reuters News Agency for ten years. He
describes the company. Reuters is one of the worlds biggest news agencies. It
supplies (supply) news and stock market prices to media and financial institutions
all over the world. It was started (start) by Paul Reuter in 1849 - with pigeons!

Reuter was (be) born in 1816 in Germany. During the 1840s he was employed
(employ) as a bank clerk in Berlin. German bankers needed (need) to know the
price on the Paris stock exchange, but the French telegraph system only went as far
as Belgium. From there the information was sent (send) to Germany by train. The
journey took (take) nine hours. The same information was carried (carry) by Paul
Reuters pigeons in only two hours!

1. Underline the best option:

1. The book was published in 2010.
buy a new car.

2. My parents will lend me some money to

3. It is said that some sports involve serious risks.

4. Lots of workers have been made redundant as a result of the crisis.
5. My father bought me a CD.

6. Fewer letters are written nowadays.

7. The TV presenter has made lots of mistakes today.

9. My children like pasta.

8. Where are you living?

10. Emails are sent more and more.

2. Change the sentences from active to passive & viceversa.

3. Peter has been given a promotion. They have given Peter a promotion.
4. Its believed that there is life in the afterlife.
the afterlife.

People believe that there is life in

5. Will you send me a postcard from New York? Will I be sent a postcard from New
York by you?
7. People think that unemployment is increasing. Unemployment is thought to be
increasing
It is thought that unemployment is increasing
8. Popular TV series are broadcast on AXN.

AXN broadcasts popular TV series.

3. Say if the sentences are Right or Wrong. Correct the mistakes.

1. It is believed that he is a millionaire.

4. Pam got her nails done yesterday.

2. My father works in an office.

5. Is lunch being cooked by him?

3. The actors contract has expired.

6. Candy cant be taught. She never

listens!

4. Put the verb in bracket in the correct active/passive voice & tense.
1. The watch is broken Ill take it to the watchmaker (break).
2. Someone is looking at you. Do you know him? (look)
3. The stain on my coat has been removed (remove).
4. The criminal was caught (catch) yesterday.

5. REM has released a compilation album (release)

6. This castle was built in 1639 (build).
7. Mary gave me a nice birthday present last year (give).
8. These laptops are made in China (make).
9. The plane has just landed (just/ land).
10. Something strange happened to Susan this morning (happen).

1) Penguin readers published this book in 1990.

___________________________________________________________________________
2) Susan informs Mary about the test results.
___________________________________________________________________________
3) They could not do the exercises on their own.
___________________________________________________________________________
4) The Smiths are going to invite the Taylors on Christmas Eve.
___________________________________________________________________________
5) The Burglars have stolen the paintings by Picasso.
___________________________________________________________________________
6) We will not treat the dogs badly.
___________________________________________________________________________
7) Susan brushes her teeth before having breakfast.
___________________________________________________________________________
8) Rachel sews skirts for her children.
___________________________________________________________________________
9) Tim mowed the lawn for his dad.
___________________________________________________________________________
10) Mothers hopefully will not do the home-exercises for their children.
___________________________________________________________________________
11) They had founded a company on their own.
___________________________________________________________________________
12) Unfortunately, she has disappointed her boyfriend.

___________________________________________________________________________
13) My uncle bought a house in Scotland.
___________________________________________________________________________
14) Zoe always does her home-exercise immediately after school.
___________________________________________________________________________
15) Paula had studied the map of London carefully.
___________________________________________________________________________
Read the following article and fill the gaps with the active or passive form of the
verbs in brackets.
Reuters News Agency
Martin Webb _____________________(work) for the Reuters News Agency for ten years.
He describes the company. Reuters is one of the worlds biggest news agencies.
It________________________(supply) news and stock market prices to media and
financial
institutions all over the world. It_____________________(start) by Paul Reuter in
1849 - with pigeons!
Reuter ________(be) born in 1816 in Germany. During the 1840s he ________
_______________ (employ) as a bank clerk in Berlin. German bankers _______
_______________(need) to know the price on the Paris stock exchange, but the
French telegraph system only went as far as Belgium. From there the
information _______________(send) to Germany by train. The journey_______
________(take) nine hours. The same information _______________(carry)
by Paul Reuters pigeons in only two hours!
MIXED ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE
1. Underline the best option:
1. The book was published/published in 2010.
2. My parents will lend/will be lent me some money to buy a new car.
3. It is said/says that some sports involve serious risks.
4. Lots of workers have been made/have made redundant as a result of the crisis.
5. My father was bought/ bought me a CD.
6. Fewer letters are written/write nowadays.
7. The TV presenter has been made/has made lots of mistakes today.

8. Where are you being lived/are you living?

9. My children are liked/like pasta.
10. Emails are sent/send more and more.
2. Change the sentences from active to passive & viceversa.
3. Peter has been given a promotion.

4. Its believed that there is life in the afterlife.

.
5. Will you send me a postcard from New Your?

7. People think that unemployment is increasing.

8. Popular TV series are broadcast on AXN.

3. Say if the sentences are Right or Wrong. Correct the mistakes.

4. Pam got her nails do yesterday.
1. It is believed that he to be a
millionaire.

5. Is lunch being cooked by he?

2. My father is worked in an office.

6. Candy cant be teach. She never

listens!

3. The actors contract has been

expired.

7. Will the children be invited to the

birthday?

4. Put the verb in bracket in the correct active/passive voice & tense.
1. The watch . Ill take it to the watchmaker (break).
2. Someone at you. Do you know him? (look)
3. The stain on my coat (remove).
4. The criminal (catch) yesterday.
5. REM a compilation album (release)
6. This castle in 1639 (build).
7. Mary me a nice birthday present last year (give).
8. These laptops in China (make).
9. The plane (just/ land).
10. Something strange to Susan this morning (happen).