Passive voice - Exercises

English Practice - Vocabulary and Grammar -
Passive Voice - Practice
Exercise A.
Rewrite the following sentences as indicated below (All tenses)
Simple Present

1. They kill 50.000 seals a year

50.000 seals ...

2. He gives an interview every month

An interview ……

3. The housekeeper doesn't lock the door every night

The door ...

4. They buy the newspaper every day.

The newspaper

5. They sell the newspaper in that kiosk.

The newspaper ...

Present Continuous
1. John is writing a new article on consumerism

A new article on consumerism ...

2. They are building a new road.

A new road ….

3. Pollution isn’t affecting the area.

The area …


Past Simple
1. He increased the voltage slowly

The voltage ....

2. He occasionally turned the machine off

The machine ...

3. They didn’t give any information about the school rules.

No information ...

4. We didn’t see the advertisements.

The advertisements…


Past Simple continuous

1. They were carrying out a survey.

A survey …

2. The TV was informing the consumers.

The consumers …

3.Peter wasn’t taking a different attitude

A different attitude …

4.They were studying the problem.

The problem ….


Present Perfect

1. The police have raided the area frequently.

The area ...

2. Somebody has scratched my car

My car ...

3. Somebody has killed the President

The President ...

4. They haven't contacted her mother yet .

Her mother ....

5. We haven’t executed all their orders yet.

All their orders …

6. Jack has written that note

That note …

7. We have just visited that old medieval town

That old medieval town …


Present Perfect continuous
1.. They haven’t been executing his orders.

His orders …

2. They have been warning the population about the dangers of contaminated water.

The population …


Past perfect

1. They had followed his example

His example …

2. We hadn’t visited that town yet.

That town …

3. They had published a new book.

A new book ….

Future; Conditional; Modal verbs
1. They will postpone the meeting.

The meeting ...

2. They can produce the brochures here.

The brochures

3. You must abandon the scheme.

The scheme

4. They couldn't repair the tractor.

The tractor ...

5. They would encourage the students to use the dictionary.

The students …..

6. They must repair the pavements.

The pavements …


B. Spot the mistakes in these sentences.

1.The books is written by a Portuguese writer.

2.The prize was been won by the school team.

3.The door was opening with an old key.

4.Decisions will being taken by common agreement.

5.The results will announce in two weeks time.

6.Cars are been sold at a higher price.

7.A new museum are been built in the city centre.

8.The new sports centre were built last year.

9.New mummies have are discovered in Egypt.


C. Rewrite as indicated below
1.The policeman stopped the burglar

The burglar ...

2. Thousands of people watched the rock concert

The rock concert ...

3. They will repair our bathroom at the end of the week.

Our bathroom...

4. They have elected a new President.

A new President ...

5. The government is building a new hospital.

A new hospital ...

6. They have closed the motorway.

The motorway ...

7. Our students write interesting articles for the school newspaper.

Interesting articles ...

8. Someone stole my wallet.

My wallet ...

9. The Greek team won the European cup.

The European cup ...

10. The waiter in a red coat served dinner.

Dinner ...

Correction

D. Rewrite as indicated below..

1. They have closed the school.

The school ...

2. Millions of people speak English all over the world.

English ...

3. One of the students left the gym equipment in the playground.

The gym equipment ...

4. The burglars have left the office door open.

The office door ...

5. The people of London have wellcome the Queen.

The Queen ...

6. The headmaster will punish the students that have missed the classes.

The students that have missed the train ...

7. The director postponed the meeting.

The meeting ...

8. The City Mayor is doing a good work.

A good work ...

9. The police have arrested a group of terrorists.

A group of terrorists ...

10. The English team will play the semi-final next Friday evening.

The semi-final ...



E. Rewrite the following sentences as indicated below (Indirect Passive)
1. They give us the information every week.

E.g. We are given the information every week.

2. They don't give him a present every year

He ...

2. They usually tell her everything they know.

She ...

3. They aren’t telling her all the truth

She ….

4. They aren’t paying him much.

He …..

5. He didn't tell Mr Y what was happening.

Mr Y ...

6. They paid Mr Y £500

Mr Y ...

5. The experiment didn't injure Mr Y

Mr Y ...

6. They didn't ask Mr Y to come back later

Mr Y ....

7. They weren’t informing her properly.

She ….

8. The teacher has given the students a severe telling-off

The students ...

9. They have been visiting Mary a lot lately.

Mary …

10. They had already given her that book.

She ….

11 They will accuse her of theft.

She ....


F. Indirect Passive - Rewrite these sentences as indicated below.
1. They told us she is working at the international office

We ...

2. They allowed her to make remarks during the rehearsal.

She ...

3. Nobody could allow him to play hockey because he wouldn’t keep the rules.

He ...

4. They have granted her the request to open a shop here.

She ...

5.They will allow you to take part in the festival.

You ...

6. No one expected her to answer.

She ...

7. Someone gave the guide a good tip for his service

The guide ...

8. They will offer him lots of money for his discovery.

He ....

9. Somebody insulted me when I was walking down the steet.

I ...

10. They paid him ten shillings a day.

He ...


G. Rewrite these sentences in the passive form (Miscellaneous)
Someone gave him the wrong medicine.

He ...

2. People have offered Mary a lot of money.

Mary ...

3. Someone has broken the glasses.

The glasses ...

4. The authorities are banning the traffic from the city centres.

The traffic ...

5. People all over the world are learning English.

English ...

6. Someone painted the walls.

The walls ...

7. The players are wearing new equipment for the match next Saturday.

A new equipment ...

8. They must build a new bridge over the river.

A new bridge ...

9. They ate all the food at the party.

All the food ...

10. They didn’t leave any drinks on the table.

No drinks ...


H. Rewrite as indicated below - (Miscellaneous)
1. Someone showed the child how to use the telephone

The child ....................

2. They have promised Mary a new opportunity.

Mary .....................

3. They asked her to sign her name at the information desk.

She ....................

4. The embassies are refusing young people a visa.

Young people ................

5. The doctor won't prescribe us a different diet

We ....................

6. They will ask you several questions.

You ...................

7. They hadn't promised him a rise in the salary.

He ............................

8. They call young executives "Yuppies"

Young executives ..........................

9. Dangerous driving is causing many accidents.

Many accidents...

10. They built this house in 1930.

This house....

11. They cancelled the flights because of the fog.

The flights....

12. People have advised us not to out alone.

We .....

13. They have told her to avoid going out at night.

She ....

14. They should forbid children to watch some TV programmes.

Children .....

15. We are expecting the result of the tests in about two hours' time.

The result ....

16. You must not allow the children to see television until late.

The children ....

17. It will be difficult to reach an agreement.

An agreement ...

18. They requested all spectators to leave the stadium in good order.

All spectators ....

19. The government sent a team of experts to study the problem.

A team of experts ...

20. The experts will have to instruct the local farmers about the new farming techniques.

The local farmers ...


I. Rewrite the following sentences as suggested below. (Miscellaneous)

1. They didn’t invite me to the party.

I ...

2. A long noise woke us up in the middle of the night.

We ...

3. I didn’t realise that somebody was recording our conversation.

I didn’t realise that our conversation ...

4. They have postponed the concert.

The concert ...

5. Somebody has cleaned the room.

The room ...

6. They are building a new ring road round the city.

A new ring road ...

7. They must do something about the situation.

Something ...

8. They can’t farm this land.

This land ....

9. They keep all their books in here.

All their books ....

10. This company employs two hundred people.

Two hundred people ….

11. They made a terrible mistake

A terrible mistake …

12. Walt Disney created several cartoons

Several cartoons …

13. They are decorating the house

The house …

14. They gave her a new car on her birthday.

She …

15. They will ask John to go to Paris

John …

16. We had to postpone our trip to the Bahamas

Our trip …

17. You should show Pauline her new bedroom.

Pauline …

18. People can keep these plants at home.

These plants …

19. They will offer us valuable presents.

We …

21. It will be extremely difficult to achieve a similar effect.

A similar effect ...