Escola Andorrana de Batxillerat
Department of English Language
Class assignment. Grammar workshop
Unit 3: Smart Servants
Solutions to
ACTIVITY PACK: THE PASSSIVE VOICE
Activity 1: Underline the verbs of the se sentences and say if the sentence active or
passive.
1.- I ate a piece of chocolate cake.
2.- The librarian read the book to the students.
3.- The money was stolen.
4.- They are paid on Fridays.
5.- The movie is being made in Hollywood.
6.- I washed my car three weeks ago.
7.- His hair was cut by a professional.
8.- I will introduce you to my boss this week.
9.- It would have been fixed on the weekend.
10.- The national anthem is being sung by Jason this time.
Activity 1:
1- ate (active)
2- read (active)
3- was stolen (passive)
4- are paid (passive)
5- is being made (passive)
6- washed (active)
7- was cut (passive)
8- will introduce (active)
9- would have been fixed
(passive)
10- is being sung (passive)
Activity 2: Complete these sentences with the Present Simple passive form of the
verbs in brackets.
1- English ________________________ (speak) in many countries.
2- The post ____________________(deliver) at about 7 o'clock every morning.
3- Dinner ________________ (serve) in the hotel at 8:30 p.m.
4- The building _________________ (not / use) any more.
Activity 2:
5- The Olympic Games __________________ (hold) every 4 years.
6- How ______________________ (your name / spell) ? 1- is spoken
7- What kinds of things ______________ (sell) in that market?
2- is delivered
8- My salary ___________________ (pay) every month.
9- These computers _________________ (make) in Japan. 3- is served
isn't used
10- The rubbish _________________ (take) away three times 4a week.
11- This programme _________________ (show) twice a week.
5- are held
12- His travel expenses ________________ (Pay) by his company.
6- is your name spelt
7- are sold
8- is paid
9- are made
10- is taken
11- is shown
12- are paid
Activity 3: Complete these sentences with the Past Simple passive form of the verbs
in brackets.
Activity 3:
1- My car ____________________ (repair) last week.
1-McCartney.
was repaired
2- This song ________________ (write) by John Lennon and Paul
3- The phone ___________________ (answer) by a young girl. 2- was written
4- The film __________________ (make) ten years ago.
3- was answered
5- When ____________________ (tennis / invent) ?
6- She ______________________ (not / injure) in the accident. 4- was made
7- He _________________ (be born) in 1965.
5- was tennis invented
8- Where __________________________ (this pot / make) ?
9- When ___________________________ (this city / build) ? 6- wasn't injured
10- This picture _____________________ (paint) by Picasso.
7- was born
11- When ____________________________ (this book / publish) ?
8- was this pot made
12- The money _________________________ (give) to him by his parents.
9- was this city built
10- was painted
11- was this book
published
12- was given
Activity 4: Complete the text with these verbs in the Past Simple passive.
In 1975 a 75-tonne space station called Skylab
(1)………………………..by the USA.
Three crews of three astronauts (2)…………………… to Skylab, but
at the end of 1974, it (3) …………………………. . Skylab stayed
in space until 1979. Then it fell out of its orbit and headed towards
the Earth. A lot of the space station burnt up when it entered the
atmosphere. But not all of it (4)…………….. .
Large pieces (5)…………….across the Indian Ocean. Australia (6)
………………….. by some fragments. Fortunately nobody
(7)……………… . A lot of the pieces (8)……………………… by
Australian farmers. The pieces (9) …………………… for very high
prices.
Activity 4:
1- was launched
2- were sent
3- was abandoned
4- was destroyed
5- were scattered
6- was hit
7- was hurt
8- were found
9- were sold
destroy
sell
hurt
scatter
send
abandon
hit
find
launch
Activity 5 : Write these sentences into the passive voice.
1.- They grow coffee in Kenya.
2.- They publish The Times newspaper in London.
3.- They make shoes in Calatayud.
4.- They transport oranges from Valencia to Germany in special crates.
5.- They are sending the parcel by sea.
6.- They are destroying the forests in Indonesia.
7.- The shark ate the man.
8.- The thief started the fire.
9.- The police took him away.
10.- They've treated him very well.
11.- They haven't cleaned the kitchen yet.
12.- They didn't punish him for what he did.
Activity 5:
1- Coffee is grown in Kenya
2- The Times newspaper is published in London.
3- Shoes are made in Calatayud
4- Oranges are transported from Valencia to
Germany in special crates.
5- The parcel is being sent by sea.
6- The forests of Indonesia are being destroyed.
7- The man was eaten by the shark.
8- The fire was started by the thief.
9- He was taken away by the police.
10- He's been treated very well.
11- The kitchen hasn’t been cleaned yet.
12- He wasn’t punished for what he did.
Activity 6: Change the sentences from the active to the passive. Be
careful with the word order! All the sentences are questions
1.- Did they catch the thief?
2.- Will the king inaugurate the new bridge?
3.- Do they make cars in Korea?
4.- Do the hounds kill the fox?
5.- Did the bull kill the matador?
6.- Have the police found the body?
7.- Why has the government banned the film?
8.- When did they hijack the plane?
9.- How did your host family treat you?
10.- What caused the accident?
11.- Has anyone cleaned the oven yet?
12.- Is a doctor going to examine you?
Activity 6:
1- Was the thief caught?
2- Will the new bridge be inaugurated by the king?
3- Are cars made in Korea?
4- Is the fox killed by the hounds?
5- Was the matador killed by the bull?
6- Has the body been found by the police?
7- Why was the film banned by the government?
8- When was the plane hijacked?
9- How were you treated by the host family?
10- What caused the accident? / What was the
accident caused by?
11- Has the oven been cleaned yet?
12- Are you going to be examined by the doctor?
Activity 7: Read the sentence and then write a new sentence with the same
meaning. The beginning is given to you.
1.- Somebody stole my bag in the shop. My bag ___________________
2.- The police have arrested three men.
Three men _____________
3.- The bill includes service.
Service _____________ in the bill.
4.- People don't use this road very often.
This road ______________
5.- Somebody accused me of stealing the money. I __________
6.- They are building a ring-road around the city.
A new ring-road _______________
7.- I didn't realise that someone was recording our conversation.
I didn't realise that our conversation __________________________________
8.- They have changed the date of the meeting. The date of the meeting _______
9.- Brian told me that somebody had attacked and robbed him in the street.
Brian told me that _________________________________________________
10.- They cancelled all flights because of fog. All flights ______________________
Activity 7:
1- My bag was stolen in the shop.
2- Three men have been arrested by the police.
3- Service is included in the bill.
4- This road isn't used very often.
5- I was accused of stealing the money.
6- A new ring-road is being built round the city.
7- I didn't realise that our conversation was being
recorded.
8- The date of the meeting has been changed.
9- Brian told me that he had been attacked and
robbed in the street.
10- All flights were cancelled because of fog.
Activity 8: Read the sentence and then write a new sentence with the same
meaning. The beginning is given to you.
1.- They didn't offer Ann the job. Ann……………………………………………….
2.- They don't pay Jim very much. Jim………………………………………………
3.- They will ask you a lot of question in the interview. You………………………
4.- Nobody told me that John was ill. I ……………………………………………….
5.- His colleges gave him a present when he retired. He . ………………………
6.- We will send you your examination results as soon as they are ready.
You ……………………………………………
7.- They didn't ask me my name I ……………………………………………………
8.- I think they should have offered Tom the job. I think Tom ……………………..
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Activity 8:
Ann wasn't offered the job.
Jim isn't paid very much.
You will be asked a lot of questions at the interview.
I wasn't told that John was ill.
He was given a present by his colleagues when he retired.
You will be sent your examination results as soon as they
are ready.
I wasn't asked my name.
I think Tom should have been offered the job.