1. Passive voice Exercises
1st bachillerato
Haga clic para modificar el estilo de subtítulo del patrón
M. Reig
3/5/13

2. 3/5/13

3. Can you use passive verbs?
9. Archimedes ___ the math 11. "The Last Judgement" ___ by
constant pi. Michelangelo between 1536 and
1541.
A. was discovered
A. painted
B. discovered B. was painted
C. has discovered C. was being painted
D. is discovering D. has been painted
10. Bell _____ the telephone in 12. The first volume of the Lord of
1876. Haga clic para modificar el estilo de subtítulo del patrón 1954.
the Rings _____ in
A. was published
A. is invented
B. has been published
B. has invented
C. is published
C. invented D. published
D. was invented

4. Here are the passive verbs:
9. Archimedes ___ the 11. "The Last Judgement"
math constant pi. ___ by Michelangelo
between 1536 and 1541.
A. was discovered
A. painted
B. discovered B. was painted
C. has discovered C. was being
D. is discovering painted
10. Bell _____ the D. has been painted
telephone in 1876. 12. The first volume of the
A. is invented Lord of the Rings _____ in
1954.
B. has invented A. was published
C. invented para modificar el estilo de subtítulo del patrón
Haga clic B. has been
D. was invented published
C. is published
D. published

5. Can you use passive verbs?
13. Many animals __ since 15. New technology __ due to
Dolly the sheep. market saturation.
A. delays
A. have been cloned B. is delayed
B. had been cloning C. was delayed
C. were cloned D. is delaying
D. clones
14. That area __ by war for
years. Haga clic para modificar el estilo de subtítulo del patrón
A. is being troubled
B. has been troubled
C. trouble
D. is troubling

6. Here are the passive verbs:
13. Many animals __ since 15. New technology __
Dolly the sheep. due to market saturation.
A. delays
A. have been cloned B. is delayed
B. had been cloning C. was delayed
C. were cloned D. is delaying
D. clones
14. That area __ by war for
years.
A. is Haga clic para modificar el estilo de subtítulo del patrón
being troubled
B. has been troubled
C. trouble
D. is troubling

7. 2.- Make the sentences passive. Include the agent only
when necessary.
a) Shakespeare wrote 'Hamlet'.
‘Hamlet’ was written by Shakespeare.
b) They have arrested her for shoplifting.
She has been arrested for shoplifting.
c) They are repairing your car now.
Your car is being repaired now.
d) People in Chile speak Spanish.
Spanish is spoken in Chile.
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8. h) A drunken motorist knocked her down.
She was knocked down by a drunken motorist.
i) Liverpool beat Manchester 3-0 yesterday.
Manchester was beaten 3-0 by Liverpool yesterday.
j) The Chinese invented paper.
Paper was invented by the Chinese.
k) They don't sell stamps in bookshops.
Stamps aren’t sold in bookshops.
l) The directors are still considering your application.
Your application is still being considered by the directors.
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9. 3.- Rewrite the sentences into the passive voice.
a) People ate most of the food at the party.
Most of the food at the party was eaten.
b) Jane won the poetry competition
The poetry competition was won by Jane.
c) One of our visitors lost this cigarette lighter.
This cigarette lighter was lost by one of our visitors.
d) They haven't decided the exact time of the match yet.
The exact time of the match hasn’t been decided yet.
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10. h) The police were following the suspects.
The suspects were being followed by the
police.
i) No one has seen Peter since the day of the
party.
Peter hasn’t been seen since the day of the
party.
j) We put up a notice about the trip on the
notice board yesterday.
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A notice about the trip was put up on the

11. p) They are going to build a new hospital.
A new hospital is going to be built.
q) Someone will clean the room.
The room will be cleaned.
r) They didn’t ask me for my address.
I wasn’t asked for my address.
s) They pay me my salary every month.
I am paid my salary every month. / My
salary is paid to me every month.
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12. 4.- Change the structure into active.
a) Nothing was sent to me.
They sent me nothing.
b) Papers were sent to us to sign.
They sent us papers to sign.
c) A clock was given to Henry when he retired.
They gave Henry a clock when he retired.
d) Stories were read to the children.
They read the children stories.
e) 5000 € is owed to me.
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13. i) A full explanation was promised to us.
They promised us a full explanation.
j) A lot of lies were told to me by the secretary.
The secretary told me a lot of lies.
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