The passive PDF

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Ejercicios de passive...

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA

The Passive Voice DEFINITION The voice is a grammatical category which makes it possible to view the action of a sentence in either of two ways, without any change in the facts reported. E.g. The butler murdered the detective (active) The detective was murdered by the butler (passive)

FORM VERB PHRASE LEVEL The passive adds a form of the auxiliary BE followed by the past participle (-ed participle) of the main verb. E.g. The mother kisses her children every morning. The children are kissed by her mother every morning .

CLAUSE LEVEL Verbs with one object

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA Verbs with two objects

Impersonal passive

USES We use a passive form: 1. When we do not know the identity of the agent. 2. When we want to avoid identifying the agent because we do not want to assign or accept responsibility. 3. When the agent is unimportant or obvious from the context. 4. In scientific and technical writing to avoid the constant repetition of the subject ‘I’ or ‘we’ and to put the emphasis on processes and procedures. This use of the passive helps to give the writing the objective tone. 5. To avoid ‘you’ in orders or rules. 6. To put emphasis on the agent of the action. 7. To avoid what would otherwise be a long active subject 8. To retain the same subject throughout a long sentence.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA

PRACTICE 1/ Tick the sentences in which the agent (by phrase) is necessary. a. This sculpture was carved by Henry Moore. b. America was discovered by Columbus. c. My hair is being cut by Monsieur Jacques. d. I was advised by my lawyer not to sue the bank. e. Milk is delivered to the restaurant every day by the milkman. f.

Are the criminals being arrested by the police?

g. Were the birds fed by anyone while we were away? h. Was the furniture dusted by anyone this morning? i.

Our car is parked outside the house by us.

j.

The room can be made larger by breaking down this wall.

k. Spanish is spoken in Peru by people. l.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo.

m. President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. n. My job application was accepted by Rubi’s Restaurant. o. The article will be printed by The Guardian on Saturday.

2/ Write the following passive sentences in the active voice. a. English is spoken here. b. This house was built in 1900. c. Your life will be changed by this book. d. My brother may be given the car for the first time tonight. e. Their guests were shown some photographs of the trip. f.

This room is going to be redecorated soon.

g. This theatre is being closed for security reasons. h. He isn’t considered an expert. Why was he called?

3/ Correct any verb forms which are impossible or inappropriate. a. A lot of homes in the area have been being broken into by burglars. b. As I drove south, I could see that the old road was rebuilding.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA 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 MP. h. A lot of meetings have been held, but nothing has being decided yet.

4/ Fill in the blanks with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets. a. Right now, money ______________ (collect) to help the poor. (Present Continuous) b. While he ______________ (chase) by the police, the body ______________ (find). (Past Continuous) c. Her new book ______________ (publish) soon. (Be going to) d. The babies ______________ (have to / feed) now. Do not disturb them. (Semi-modal) e. She ______________ (consider) to be the country’s best singer. (Present Simple) f.

Our car ______________ (can / use) yesterday because the engine ______________ (repair) all day. (modal, Past Continuous)

g. I wonder which candidate ______________ (elect) prime minister. (Future Simple) h. Fresh sandwiches ______________ (sell) in my office every day. (Present Simple)

5/ Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate verb form. a. The boxes ______________________ (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).

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA 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. i.

The second goal ______________________ (score) by Hughes in the 41st minute.

j.

The cathedral ______________________ (build) in the fourteenth Century.

k. Nothing ______________________ (see) of Pauline since her car _____________ (find) abandoned near Newbury last week. l.

As our new furniture ______________________ (deliver) on Monday morning I’ll have to stay at home to check that it ______________________ (not / damage) during transit.

m. The new Alhambra hatchback, which is in the country __________________ (sell) under the name 'Challenger', __________________ (fit) with electric windows as standard. n. For the past few days I ______________________ (work) in Jack’s office, as my own office ______________________ (redecorate). o. It ____________________(announce) that the proposed new office block _________________ (now / not / build) because of the current economic situation. p. A major new deposit of oil ______________________ (discover) in the North Sea. It ______________________ (think) to be nearly twice the size of the largest existing field. q. Pictures of the surface of the planet Venus ______________________ (receive) yesterday from the space probe ‘Explorer’ which ______________________ (launch) last year.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA r.

A large sum ______________________ (raise) for the Fund by a recent charity concert but the target of $250,000 ______________________ (still / not / reach)

s. No decision ______________________ (make) about any future appointment until all suitable candidates ______________________ (interview).

6/ Write the following sentences in the passive if possible. a. They first developed the polio vaccine in the 1950s. b. To record, you must press the red button and the black button at the same time. c. You should make the sandwiches just before we leave. d. Shakespeare died in 1616. e. The crew will bury the sailor at sea. f.

People are sending blankets and clothes to the flood victims.

g. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. h. The technicians were repairing my fax machine when I arrived. i.

Toyota sells cars in many countries.

j.

The visitors arrived to New Jersey in the evening.

k. Betty lives in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

l.

They add sugar to fruit in order to make jam.

7/ Match the beginnings of the sentences, with the appropriate endings. a) She vaguely remembers that… She has vague memories of … … being knocked down by a motorbike.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA … she was knocked down by a motorbike. b) He was criticised for his extravagance… Having been criticised for his extravagance… ... and was more careful after that. …he became more careful after that. c) They made me… I was made… … tell them everything I know. … to tell them everything I know. d) It is often said that Shakespeare… Shakespeare is often said… … never revised anything he wrote. … never to have rewritten anything he wrote. e) There were once thought… It was once thought… … that there were canals on Mars. … to be canals on Mars.

8/ Where possible, rewrite each of the following sentences in two different ways, using a different subject each time. Some sentences may be rewritten only one way. a. The police showed the victim a picture of the suspect.

b. People used to sell the tourist fake antiques.

c. Why didn’t they offer the customers a refund?

d. They didn’t guarantee every participant a free lunch.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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Lengua extranjera. Inglés B2 FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA e. They reported the incident to the police.

f.

People suggested to us that the Internet would be a good source of information.

g. They promised us full compensation if the scheme fell through.

h. The referee declared the boxing match a draw.

i.

We’ll give the new members of staff all the help they need.

Grammar | The Passive Voice

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