The Passive Voice
Ex. 1 Underline the verb forms which are not possible.
1. My car has being stolen. 2. Jack was borned on a Thursday. 3. Then I realised that none of the guests had been sent an invitation. 4. Mary's car is being serviced today. 5. Your order will been sent as soon as possible. 6. The hole in the road was being repaired when I came home. 7. This swimming pool is used by over a thousand people each week. 8. When was this church built? 9. An address is writing on the back of the envelope. 10. Customers are request to ask for a receipt.
Ex. 2 Underline the most suitable verb form in each sentence.
1. Their new house hasn't been finished/wasn't finished yet. 2. The robbers were arrested/have been arrested as soon as they left the bank. 3. Sue told us her baby is born/had been born two weeks earlier than expected. 4. If there is too much snow, the match has been cancelled/will be cancelled. 5. By the time we got there, the rain had stopped/had been stopped. 6. When were you told/have you been told about the new rules? 7. Most of the passengers were swim-ming/were swum easily to the shore. 8. The winning horse was ridden/was riding by Pat Murphy. 9. I looked again for the old man, but he was vanished/had vanished. 10. I don't think that you will be asked/are being asked to show your passport.
Ex. 3 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable passive form.
1. I'm sorry, madam, but this carpet (already sell) ….has already been sold…. 2. The old house on the corner (knock down) last year. 3. When exactly (John give) his prize? 4. Most people agree that America (not discover) by
Christopher Columbus. 5. All complaints about products (deal with) by our customer services department. 6. Police confirmed that the murder weapon (since discover) in a nearby lake. 7. It (announce) yesterday that the government has decided not to raise income tax. 8. Good news! I (ask) to take over as the new manager. 9. I don't believe that this play (write) by Shakespeare. 10. Ann really likes (invite) to dinner parties.
Ex. 4 Rewrite each sentence, putting the verb in italics in the passive where possible. Do you need to mention the agent?
1. I really like this hotel. ………….not possible...........
2. Jane won the poetry competition. 3. Peter's new car cost over £20,000. 4. Martin always wears casual clothes. 5. One of our visitors lost this cigarette lighter. 6. They haven't decided the exact time of the match yet. 7. Most of the guests had left the hotel by midday. 8. Some parents read to their children every night. 9. This bike belongs to my sisters. 10. People ate most of the food at the party.
Ex. 5 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable verb form.
A friend in the rain
Last week I (1) .was walking... (walk) home after playing tennis when it (2 start) raining very heavily. 'Oh no, I (3 get) soaked before I (4 reach) home,' I thought. I wish I (5 remember) to bring my raincoat.' But unfortunately I
(6 leave) it at home. How stupid of me! I (7 always forget) to bring it with me. Luckily just then a friend of mine passed in her car and offered me a lift. '(8 you go) home?' she asked, 'or (9 you want) to go for a drink?' 'I think I'd rather you (10 take) me home,' I said. 'If I (11 not change) my clothes, I know I (12 fall) ill, and then I (13 not be able) to play in the tennis tournament next week. And I (14 practise) hard for the last month.' 'I (15 wait) for you to change if you (16 like),' she told me. 'I think it's time you (17 relax) for a change. You (18 worry) too much about things lately. And people who (19 worry) too much (20 fall) ill more easily. It's got nothing to do with the rain!'
Ex. 6 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable verb form.
The facts about sugar
Packet sugar from the supermarket (1) ...is extracted..... (extract) from either sugar cane or sugar beet. These products (2 mix) with hot water, which (3 dissolve) their natural sugar. Sugar (4 also find) in fruit some of which, such as dates and grapes, (5 contain) very high amounts of sugar. To be a little more specific, sugar should (6 call) sucrose. Sucrose (7 make up) of two substances: glucose, which (8 use) for instant energy, and fructose, which (9 last) longer as a source of energy. The sugar in fruit is mainly fructose. So when we (10 eat) fruit, we (11 also eat) quite large amounts of natural sugar. Some scientists (12 believe) that too much sugar (13 eat) in sweets, cake and biscuits. It (14 say) to be generally bad for the health, although nothing (15 definitely prove) so far. However, it (16 known) that sugar (17 cause) tooth decay. As one expert put it: 'If other foods (18 damage) our body as much as sugar (19 damage) our teeth, they (20 ban) immediately”.
Ex. 7 Translate the sentences into English.
A. 1. Лекции этого профессора всегда слушают с большим интересом. 2. Меня прервал Джон. 3. Его всегда любили, и ему всегда доверяли. 4. О ней заботятся ее друзья. 5. Я уверен, что записка была написана каран-дашом (in pencil). 6. Дверь открыла пожилая женщина, и Джейн ввели в маленькую гостиную. 7. Кровать не была застелена, стул был сломан. 8. Об этом фильме много говорят. 9. Пока готовился завтрак, мать подо-шла к постели ребенка. 10. Ей продиктовали письмо и задали несколько вопросов. 11. Аню спрашивали, когда я вошла в комнату, где шел экзамен. 12. Ей дадут квартиру в этом доме. 13. "Где врач?" - прошептал он. - "За ним послали." 14. К концу этой недели работа будет завершена. 15. Его давно не видели. 16. Мне сказали, что около железнодорожного моста строятся два новых дома. 17. Мне рассказали, как должно быть приготовлено это блюдо. 18. Он узнает, почему его туда посылают. 19. "Куда он ушел?" - "Мне не сказали".
В. 1. Мне показали, как это было сделано. 2. О ней очень хорошо отзываются. 3. Ей объяснили, как пользо-ваться этим устройством (device). 4. Вода в квартире была включена, и послали за сантехником (plumber). 5. В библиотеке ему предложили целый ряд статей на интересующую его тему. 6. Можно ли положиться на эти цифры? 7. Мне иного раз повторяли, что мне надо бросить (give up) курить. 8. Задавали ли вам дополни-тельные вопросы на экзамене? 9. Их тепло поблагодарили за помощь. 10. Ему советовали побольше бывать на воздухе. 11. Надо положить конец этим бесполезным спорам. 12. Вас не будут просить выступать. 13. Почему вам запретили играть в футбол? 14. Когда вам продиктовали это письмо?
С. 1. .Детей часто водят (take) в кино и театр. 2. Ей объявили, что поезд уже ушел. 3. Его опросили не вме-шиваться. 4. Ей задали несколько вопросов и велели подождать. 5.Будет ли нам предоставлен отдельный но-мер в отеле? 6. Его выбор был всеми одобрен. 7.В начальной школе (primary) детей учат читать и считать, с ними играют, их развлекают (entertain). 8. Ей продиктовали несколько писем. 9. Кому дадут эту работу? 10. Какие меры будут приняты? 11. Тогда как раз строилась школа. 12. Ну, что-нибудь уже решено? 13.Там за ним будет хороший уход. 14. Что говорили на эту тему? 15. Их учат английскому языку около года. 16. Когда это надо сделать? 17. Почему это нельзя сделать сегодня? 8. Когда вам сообщили это известие? 19. Почему ничего еще не сделано? 20. Чей фортепианный концерт сейчас исполняется?