Teacher's Answers - The Passive Voice

PASSIVE 1 ( IS DONE / WAS DONE )
Th i s h o us e w a s bu i l t i n 1 9 3 5 . - w a s b ui lt i s p ass i v e
subj
S o me b o dy b u il t t h i s ho us e i n 1 9 3 5 . ( a c t iv e )
subj
obj
obj
Th is h o us e w a s b u il t i n 1 9 3 5 . ( p as si ve )
Active verbs = we say what the subject does.
My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1935.
Its a big company. It employs 200 people.
Passive verbs = we say what happens to the subject
This house is quite old. It was built in 1935.
200 hundred people are employed by the company.
When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant:
A lot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody stole it, but we don't know who)
Is this room cleaned every day? (does somebody clean it? - it's not important who)
If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by
This house was built by my grandfather.
Two hundred people are employed by the company.
The passive is be + past participle
EXERCISES:
1. Write sentences from the words in brackets. Sentences 1-7 are present and Sentences 8-15 are past.
1.
(the office / clean / every day)
The office is cleaned every day.
2. (these rooms / clean / every day?)
Are these rooms cleaned every day?
3. (glass / make / from sand)
Glass is made from sand.
4. (stamps / sell / in a post office)
Stamps are sold in a post office.
5. (this room / not / use / very often)
The room isnt used very often.
6. (we / allow / to park here?)
Are we allowed to park here?
7. (how / this word / pronounce?)
How is this world pronounced?
8. (the office / clean / yesterday).
The office was cleaned yesterday.
9. (the house / paint / last month)
The house was painted last month.
10. (three people / injure / in the accident) Three people were injured in the accident.
11. (my bicycle / steal / a few days ago)
My bicycle was stolen a few days ago.
12. (when / this bridge / build?)
When was this bridge built?
13. (you / invite / to the party last week?) Were you invited to the party last week?
14. (how / these windows / break?)
How were these windows broken?
15. (I/ not / wake up / by the noise)
I wasnt woken up by the noise.
2. Correct these sentences.

1.
This house built 100 years ago.
This house was
2. Football plays in most countries of the world.
Football is played
3. Why did the letter send to the wrong address?
Why was the letter sent to
4. A garage is a place where cars repair.
where cars are repaired.
5. Where are you born?
Where were you
6. How many languages are speaking in Switzerland?
languages are spoken
7. Somebody broke into our house but nothing stolen.
nothing was stolen.
8. When was invented the bicycle?
When was the bicycle invented?
3. Complete the sentences. Use the passive (present or past) of these verbs.
clean
1.
damage
find
give
invite
make
x2
The room is cleaned every day.
2. I saw an accident yesterday. Two people were taken to hospital.

3. Paper is made from wood.
4. There was a fire at the hotel last week. Two of the rooms were damaged.
5. 'Where did you get this picture?' 'It was given to me by a friend of mine.'
6. Many American programmes are shown on British television.
7. 'Did Jim and Sue go to the wedding?' 'No. They were invited but they didn't go.'
8. 'How old is this film?' 'It was made / in 1965.'
9. My car was stolen last week but the next day it was found by the police.
4. Where were they born?

1.
(Ian / Edinburgh)
2. (Sally / Birmingham)
Ian was born in Edinburgh.

Sally was born in Birmingham.
show
steal
take
3. (her parents / Ireland)
Her parents were born in Ireland.
4. (you / ???)
I was born in
5. (your mother / ???)
My mother was born in
5. Complete the sentences using one of these verbs in the correct form, present or past:
cause
1.
damage
hold
invite
make
overtake
show
surround
translate
write
Many accidents are caused by dangerous driving.
2. Cheese is made from milk.

3. The roof of the building was damaged in a storm a few days ago.
4. You were invited to the wedding. Why didn't you go?
5. A cinema is a place where films are shown.
6. In the United States, elections for president are held every four years.
7. Originally the book was written in Spanish, and a few years ago it was translated into English.
8. Although we were driving quite fast, we were overtaken by a lot of other cars.
9. You can't see the house from the road. It is surrounded by trees.
6 Write questions using the passive. Some are present and some are past.
1.
Ask about glass. (how / make?)
How is glass made?
2. Ask about television. (when / invent?)
When was TV invented?
3. Ask about mountains. (how / form?)
How are mountains formed?
4. Ask about Pluto (the planet). (when / discover?)
When was Pluto discovered?
5. Ask about silver. (what / use for?)
What is silver used for?
7. Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or past simple, active or passive.
1.
It's a big factory. Five hundred people (employ) are employed there.
2. (somebody / clean) Did somebody clean this room yesterday?

3. Water (cover) covers most of the earth's surface.
4. How much of the earth's surface (cover) is covered by water?
5. The park gates (lock) are locked at 6.30 p.m. every evening.
6. The letter (post) was posted a week ago and it (arrive) arrived yesterday.
7. The boat hit a rock and (sink) sank quickly. Fortunately everybody (rescue) was rescued
8. Richard's parents (die) died when he was very young. He and his sister (bring up) were brought up by their grandparents.
9. I was born in London, but I (grow up) grew up in Canada.
10. While I was on holiday, my camera (steal) was stolen from my hotel room.
11. While I was on holiday, my camera (disappear) disappeared from my hotel room.
12. Why (Sue / resign) did Sue resign from her job? Didn't she enjoy it?
13. Why (Bill / sack) was Bill sacked from his job? What did he do wrong?
14. The company is not independent. It (own) is owned by a much larger company.
15. I saw an accident last night. Somebody (call) called an ambulance but nobody (injure) was injured, so the ambulance (not / need)
wasnt needed
16. Where (these photographs / take) were these photographs taken? In London? Did you take them, or somebody else?
17. Sometimes it's quite noisy living here, but it's not a problem for me - I (not / bother) am not bothered by it.
PASSIVE 2 ( IS BEING DONE / HAS BEEN DONE )

Present Continuous Active and Passive
subj
obj
S o me b o dy i s p a i n ti n g t he d o o r . ( a c t i ve )
subj
Th e d o o r i s b e i n g p ai n te d . ( p as s i ve )
is / are being
My car is at the garage. Somebody is repairing it. active
My car is at the garage. It is being repaired. - passive
Somebody is building some new houses opposite the park. active
Some new houses are being built opposite the park. - passive
Compare the present continuous and present simple:
The office is being cleaned at the moment. (continuous)
The office is cleaned every day. - (simple)
In Britain football matches are usually played on Saturday, but no matches are being played next Saturday.
Present Perfect Active and Passive
subj
BEFORE
obj
S o me b o dy h a s p ai n te d t he d o o r . ( a c t i ve )
subj
Th e d o o r h as be e n p a i n t e d . (p a ss i v e )
NOW
has / have been
Somebody has stolen my keys. active
My keys have been stolen. - passive
I'm not going to the party. Nobody has invited me. active
I'm not going to the party. I haven't been invited. - passive
Compare the present perfect and past simple:
The room is clean now. It has been cleaned. (present perfect)
The room was cleaned yesterday. - (past simple)
I can't find my keys. I think they've been stolen. (present perfect)
My keys were stolen last week. (past simple)
EXERCISES:
1. What's happening?
1.
The car is being repaired.
3. The windows are being cleaned.
2. A bridge is being built.
4. The grass is being cut.
2. Look at the pictures. What is happening or what has happened? Use the present continuous ( is/are being ) or the
present perfect ( has/have been ).
1.
(the office / clean)
The office is being cleaned.
2. (the shirts / iron)
The shirts have been ironed.
3. (the window / break)
The window has been broken.
4. (the roof / repair)
The roof is being repaired.
5. (the car / damage).
The car has been damaged.
6. (the houses / knock / down)
The houses are being knocked down.
7. (the trees / cut / down)
The trees have been cut down.
8. (they / invite / to a party)
They have been invited to a party.
3. Use the words in brackets to complete the sentences.

1.
I can't use my office at the moment. It (paint) repaired.
2. We didnt go to the party. We (not / invited) repaired

3. The washing machine was broken but it's OK now. It (repair) has been repaired.
4. The washing machine (repair) was repaired yesterday afternoon.
5. A factory is a place where things (make) are made.
6. How old are these houses? When (they/build) were they built?
7. A: (the computer / use) Is the computer being used / Is anybody using the computer at the moment? B: Yes, Jim is using it.
8. I've never seen these flowers before. What (they/call) are they called?
9. Some trees (blow) were blown down in the storm last night.
10. The bridge is closed at the moment. It (damage) was damaged last week and it (not/repair) hasnt been repaired yet.

Teacher's Answers - The Passive Voice

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Teacher's Answers - The Passive Voice

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PASSIVE 1 ( IS DONE / WAS DONE )

Active verbs = we say what the subject does.

My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1935.

Its a big company. It employs 200 people.

Passive verbs = we say what happens to the subject

This house is quite old. It was built in 1935.

200 hundred people are employed by the company.

If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by

This house was built by my grandfather.

Two hundred people are employed by the company.

The passive is be + past participle

(the office / clean / every day)

The office is cleaned every day.

2. (these rooms / clean / every day?)

Are these rooms cleaned every day?

3. (glass / make / from sand)

Glass is made from sand.

4. (stamps / sell / in a post office)

Stamps are sold in a post office.

5. (this room / not / use / very often)

The room isnt used very often.

6. (we / allow / to park here?)

Are we allowed to park here?

7. (how / this word / pronounce?)

How is this world pronounced?

8. (the office / clean / yesterday).

The office was cleaned yesterday.

9. (the house / paint / last month)

The house was painted last month.

My bicycle was stolen a few days ago.

12. (when / this bridge / build?)

When was this bridge built?

How were these windows broken?

15. (I/ not / wake up / by the noise)

I wasnt woken up by the noise.

2. Correct these sentences.

This house built 100 years ago.

This house was

2. Football plays in most countries of the world.

3. Why did the letter send to the wrong address?

Why was the letter sent to

4. A garage is a place where cars repair.

where cars are repaired.

5. Where are you born?

Where were you

6. How many languages are speaking in Switzerland?

languages are spoken

7. Somebody broke into our house but nothing stolen.

nothing was stolen.

8. When was invented the bicycle?

When was the bicycle invented?

The room is cleaned every day.

2. I saw an accident yesterday. Two people were taken to hospital.

4. Where were they born?

Ian was born in Edinburgh.

3. (her parents / Ireland)

Her parents were born in Ireland.

5. (your mother / ???)