The passive voice

Exercise 51.

(a) Form Participle II from the following infinitives. Comment on the spelling changes.

Model. to work – worked	We add the ending -ED according to the general rule.
to beat – beaten	We form Participle II from the infinitive of the irregular verb by adding the ending -EN.
to play – played	We don’t change the final -Y because it comes after the vowel.

to fix, to occur, to write, to burn, to be, to love, to put, to study, to do, to try, to say, to pencil, to misunderstand, to program, to rob, to play, to add, to give, to fall, to pay.

(b) Make up your own sentences with the infinitives in the suggested tenses. Supply appropriate adverbials. Comment on the way of forming of the Passive Voice.

Model. to write the letter (Present Perfect Passive)

The letter has been written already.

has been written is the form of the Present Perfect Passive which is formed by means of the auxiliary verb TO BE in the Present Perfect (has been) and Participle II of the main verb (written).

1. to build the stadium (Present Continuous Passive)

2. to complete the installation (Future Perfect Passive)

3. to write the essay (Past Indefinite Passive)

4. to invite Ted (Future Indefinite Passive)

5. to slice the cheese (Past Perfect Passive)

6. to deliver the post (Present Indefinite Passive)

7. to make the film (Future Perfect in the Past Passive)

8. to adopt the law (Present Perfect Passive)

9. to fix the brakes (Past Continuous Passive)

10. to settle the dispute (Future Indefinite in the Past Passive)

Exercise 52.

(a) Make the following sentences negative and interrogative. Comment on the way of forming.

Model. The letter was written yesterday.	The letter was not written yesterday.
	Was the letter written yesterday?
In the negative sentence we place the negative particle NOT after the auxiliary verb TO BE in the Past Indefinite (was).
In the interrogative sentence we place the auxiliary verb TO BE in the Past Indefinite (was) before the subject.

1. The ship has been loaded already.

2. Members of the Parliament are elected every five years.

3. The matter will be discussed tomorrow.

4. Tom is being questioned now.

5. The task would be completed the next day.

6. Our car was still being repaired when we came.

7. The suspect had been arrested by that time.

8. The test will have been done by 8 o’clock.

9. A young director was invited to make the film.

10. The plan would have been discussed by that time.

(b) Put questions to the words in bold type.

1. He is being paid a lot of money for doing very little.

2. A meeting place was suggested to us last Friday.

3. You will never be told the real truth.

4. A lot of new houses are built in Kyiv every year.

5. The letter has been posted already.

6. The car would be sold for £700.

7. Their mother had been invited to the meeting.

8. The cottage will have been redecorated by Monday.

9. The dinner was being cooked by Ann.

10. The treaty would have been signed by two countries.

(c) Ask all possible questions.

The grammar rule was explained to us yesterday.

Exercise 53.

Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian and comment on the use of the Passive Voice.

Model. The letter was written yesterday.

Лист було написано вчора.

was written is the form of the Past Indefinite Passive which denotes an action performed in the past. The adverbial yesterday shows the connection with the past. The passive verb form is translated into Ukrainian by the combination of the verb БУТИ with verbal form ending in -НО.

1. A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz has been stolen. The thief is being described as ‘armed and fabulous’.

2. Police, the fire service, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Environmental Agency were alerted after a blue 25-litre drum was washed ashore on the sands.

3. Witnesses are being sought, after thieves stole a red Ford Mondeo estate car from outside a house in Vaynor Road, Milford Haven, on Thursday evening.

4. A £3 million rescue package has been drawn up to save the National Botanic Garden of Wales from closure.

5. Mr Finn, also 21, was taken to hospital and put on a life-support machine, which his family decided to switch off a week later.

6. Over 10 km out to sea from Linde Logtenburg’s home, a new North Sea power plant is being built.

7. He added that this was the first time that the National Assembly procedures for handling of potentially toxic items had been carried out in Pembrokeshire, and all agencies involved had worked together well.

8. Passengers flying with Lufthansa Regional are kindly requested to take only one piece of hand baggage into the cabin.

9. Twenty-one-year old Potter was jailed for nine months by Oxford Crown Court.

10. Don’t worry. Everything will have been arranged by his departure.

Exercise 54.

(a) Change the Active Voice into the Passive Voice. Comment on the way of forming of the Passive Voice.

Note. Active sentences can contain verbs followed by direct and indirect objects which become subjects of passive sentences. The choice between direct and indirect objects depends on whether we focus on a living being or a lifeless thing. Verbs followed only by direct object + prepositional object in the Active Voice can have only one passive form with the direct object used as a subject of the sentence.

1. Our parents bought us little presents.

2. My friend said she would suggest a good dentist to me.

3. The crowd was slowly filling the hall.

4. Sir, the waiter will bring your order in a moment.

5. I’m explaining the situation to my bank manager.

6. The Chinese widely use bicycles instead of public transport.

7. He would have installed that programme by the time she came.

8. By the end of the year he’ll have donated a lot of money to cancer research.

9. Roger gave her the car a week ago.

10. We began working only after our boss had introduced the newcomer to us.

(b) Change the Active Voice into the Passive Voice paying attention to prepositional verbs.

Note. When prepositional verbs become predicates of passive sentences, the prepositions are not dropped.

1. We sent for the doctor immediately.

2. They are waiting for Jerry.

3. Economists will comment on this event in today’s newspapers.

4. Most parents take good care of their children.

5. Scientists often refer to this phenomenon.

6. Mary has put an end to that state of affairs.

7. The boys were laughing at her when I came in.

8. Those people who have seen the film speak much of it.

9. The students will have listened to Text A by 11 o’clock.

10. When Emily began to speak, everybody looked at her with surprise.

(c) Fill in the gaps with the Active or Passive Voice. Comment on the use of tenses.

Model. I gave her the book two days ago.

gave is the form of the Past Indefinite Active which denotes an action performed in the past. The adverbial two days ago shows the connection with the past.

She was given the book two days ago.

was given is the form of the Past Indefinite Passive which denotes an action performed in the past. The adverbial two days ago shows the connection with the past.

1. The remains of an old Cossack church … (to discover) nearby.

2. As they drove north, they could see the old road … (to rebuild).

3. My mum … (to talk) on the phone when I came.

4. Only after I … (to pay) for my work properly, I’ll go on with the redecoration.

5. By next June our group … (to work) for this company for two years.

6. Suddenly Bob realized what an awful mistake … (to make). Nothing could be changed.

7. I suppose the parcel … (to deliver) by 7 next Tuesday.

8. We are delighted to inform you that you … (to select) for the participation in our talk show.

9. If your projects … (not to do) in time, you’ll get bad marks.

10. They possibly … (to take up) her offer tomorrow. Things do happen.

Exercise 55.

Translate the following sentences into English using the appropriate tenses and voices. Comment on the use of tenses.

1. Ми вже переклали дві книги м-ра Гордона українською. Зараз перекладається його третя книга.

2. Коли ми повернулися вчора додому, в кімнаті вже було прибрано, а на кухні готувалася вечеря.

3. До котрої години буде доставлене моє замовлення? – О 6-й годині його запакують. Отже, до 7-ї воно буде доставлене до вашого помешкання.

4. Ми раді повідомити вам, що ви були обрані для участі в міжнародній програмі студентського обміну.

5. Підозрюваний, якого заарештували вчора, в даний момент допитується детективом Джонсоном.

6. Уманський державний педагогічний університет було засновано в 1930 році. Зараз він складається з чотирьох інститутів, що готують учителів іноземних мов, історії, фізики, математики, біології, географії та інших предметів.

7. Як тільки експеримент буде проведено, його результати будуть демонструватися в 4-й лабораторії, і ви отримаєте всю необхідну інформацію.

8. Чому про цей роман так багато говорять? Це найгірший роман, що було написано за останні десять років.

9. У 1922 році Ірландія була поділена на дві частини. Католицький південь став Ірландською Республікою, а північ залишилася частиною Об’єднаного Королівства.

10. Якщо ви зацікавлені у відвідуванні наших курсів і приймаєте цю пропозицію, заповніть, будь-ласка, анкету і надішліть її нам якомога швидше.