Unit 3 THE PASSIVE

UNIT 3 – EXERCISES

1.- COMPLETE WITH PASSIVE OR ACTIVE VERBS

     1) A new shopping centre ________________________________________ (build) at this

         moment

     2) The Olympic Games for the year 1992 ________________________________________

         (organise) in the city of Barcelona

     3) Someone ________________________________________ (tell) Julia this terrible

         secret if you don’t.

     4) John ________________________________________ (not show) us his book when we

         met him

     5) These windows ________________________________________ (clean) this morning

     6) Letters ________________________________________ (deliver) by the postman at 8

         every day

     7) This bag ________________________________________ (find) in the bus yesterday

     8) ________________________________________ (your motorbike, repair) yet?

     9) The message ________________________________________ (send) tomorrow

   10)  These offices ________________________________________ (clean) now    

   11) This report ________________________________________ (not finish) if you hadn’t

          helped me

   12) Why ________________________________________ (TV, turn on)?

   13) This building ________________________________________ (not reconstruct) since

         1998

   14) The engine ________________________________________ (just test) when the

          manager saw it.

   15) The police ________________________________________ (just announce) that the

         Portnoy’s bank ________________________________________ (rob) yesterday

   16) How often ________________________________________ (the Olympic games, hold) ?

   17) How ________________________________________ (your name, spell)?

   18) The dentist said: “This tooth ____________________________________________

         (must pull) out right away

   19) My house ____________________________________________ (rob)  yesterday but the

         police ____________________________________________ (catch) the thief yesterday

         and most the stolen things ____________________________________________ (find)

   20) He didn’t go to the party because he

          ____________________________________________ (not invite)

   21) Your plants ____________________________________________ (should water) twice

         a week

   22) The book ____________________________________________ (already complete)

          before the author ____________________________________________ (die)

   23) This jar of jam ____________________________________________ (can keep) at room

          temperature if it is not opened. Once you open, it

          ____________________________________________ (must refrigerate)

   24) We ____________________________________________ (take) a bus to the game

          yesterday because our car ____________________________________________ (fix)

   25) I ____________________________________________ (buy) a new sofa yesterday but

         it ____________________________________________ (not deliver) until next week

   26) The report ____________________________________________ (finish) by the end of

         the week

   27) The question ____________________________________________ (discuss) in our next

          meeting

   28) You don’t have to bring any towels for your trip. The towels

          ____________________________________________ (supply) by the Hotel

   29) Poor Johnny! He ____________________________________________ (never tell) the

         truth about his feelings

   30) Don’t sit on that bench! It ____________________________________________ (just

         paint)

2.- CHANGE INTO PASSIVE

     1) Few people have climbed this mountain before

     2) They performed his opera for the first time last Saturday.

         

     3) Young people will organize the exhibition

        

     4) My friends are telling me the latest news.

        

     5) They answered the old lady very rudely

        

     6) The doctor is going to order me a new diet to lose weight.

          

     7) We must pay our debts before the end of the month.

         

     8) They ought to pay him more for the work he does.

         

     9) The teachers will be giving the students reports in June.

         

   10) They don't serve alcoholic drinks before 6 o'clock.

         

   11) He disappeared and no one has seen him again.

         

   12) Did she phone you last night?

        

   13) Is she killing her dogs?

   14) Her friend has been recommending her a new doctor.

        

   15) They offered us a higher salary at the office.

        

   16) Has anyone ever called you an idiot before?

        

   17) No one has polished the floor yet.

        

   18) You don’t have to pay this bill until next week

        

   19) Did they give you the money?

        

   20) They should inform his parents as soon as possible.

         

   21) You can’t have seen the accident.

         

   22) Who did your homework?

         

   23) When will anyone send you the copies which they have promised you?

        

   24) No one has ever taught me how a computer works.

         

   25) They had finished preparations by the time the guests arrived

         

   26) You should have checked your exercise before leaving

         

   27) Has anyone ever asked you to set up a business?

          

   28) They didn’t pay the workers the wages promised.

         

   29) Who is going to clean the bathroom?

         

   30) Who will Susan be singing the song?

          

3.- PUT NEXT SENTENCES INTO ACTIVE

1.    Copies of this book will be signed by the author.

2.    The old market was built by an important company in 1912.

3.    Nothing has been done since he left.

4.    All these computers were sold at a very low price.

5.    Identity cards must be shown when you enter the museum.

6.    The pupils are shown a film on the history of America.

7.    All kind of food is being served in school at lunchtime.

8.    The books are being returned to the library.

9.    A lot of Christmas trees have been sold in December

10. Who was that file returned to the library by?

11. The instructions have been changed.

12. She will have to be taught.

13. This car was manufactured in Japan by Toyota.

14. Why aren't the exercises being finished on time?

15. Last year 2,000 new units had been produced by the time we introduced the new design.

16. Casual clothes must not be worn.

17. $400,000 in profit has been reported this year.

18. The test will be given at five o'clock this afternoon.

19. Students are required to wear uniforms at all times.

20. This rumour must have been started by our competitors.

21. All work will have been completed by five o'clock this evening.

22. We were told to wait here.

23. Lunch was being served when we arrived.

24. Lectures are recorded and posted on the Internet. 

25. Portuguese has always been spoken in this village.

26.  We are taught grammar by Ms Sullivan

27. Who were you taught French by?

28. The injured had been taken to the hospital by the firemen

29. Will you be given a ticket by the manager?

30. Is the house going to be demolished?

4.- SUBORDINATE PASSIVE

     1) People believe that English is the most widely spoken

        

     2) Police have reported that it was Peter who caused the accident. 

        

     3) A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night. 

         

     4)  The lecturer thought that Columbus hadn’t discovered America. 

          

     5) Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco

         

     6) Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully 

 

     7) The children reported that their friends weren’t swimming when they

         disappeared. 

         

     8) People believed that they had killed the animals during the night. 

         

     9) My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world. 

        

   10) They believe that the horse was a present. 

        

   11) People know that drugs are very dangerous. 

        

   12) They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory. 

        

   13) Ancient people thought that the stars fell on them. 

        

   14) People consider that he put the books on the shelf

         

   15) Everybody says that he settled the business. 

        

   16) The reporters believed that the meeting didn’t finish soon.

        

   17) They think the sportsmen are arriving today. 

         

   18) Citizens presume that the government was responsible for the accident. 

         

   19) The newspapers report that the most outstanding athletes represent their

          country. 

         

   20) The shareholders thought that the group hadn’t rejected the offer. 

         

   21) They say that the meeting is being held here 

        

   22) The hooligans expected that their team won 

         

   23) In ancient Rome people believed that dolphins carried souls to heaven

        

   24) Everyone thought that the painting hadn’t been destroyed in the fire

        

   25) They think that the two men are repairing high-tension cable

         

   26) People believe that a professional thief stole the painting

        

   27) In ancient Greek people supposed that dolphins were men who had abandoned

         life on land

        

   28) They say that Chinese invented gunpowder

         

   29) People say that Mr. Bond isn’t having business difficulties

         

   30) They believe that this treasure dates from the 19^th century

         

5.- FINISH THE SENTENCES WITH 'HAVE SOMETHING DONE' IN THE CORRECT FORM.

     1)  Why does he _________________________________________? (all his shoes/ make)

     2) I can't read Greek so I _________________________________________ (the

         documents/ translate) now

     3) The house was damp so last winter we

          _________________________________________ (central heating/ install)

     4) The hall was dark so last year we

          _________________________________________ (another window/ put in)

     5) He went to a garage to _________________________________________ (the

         puncture/ mend)

     6) If you hate cleaning fish, why don't you

         _________________________________________ at the fishmonger's? (it/ clean)

     7) He didn't like the colour of the curtains so he

          _________________________________________ (them/ change)

     8) Your roof is leaking, you should _________________________________________ (it/

         repair)

     9) That tooth is giving you a lot of trouble. You should

         _________________________________________. (it/ take out)

   10) We _________________________________________ (the roof /repair) last year. It cost

          us a packet

   11) Anne _________________________________________ (her hair / do) every Friday

         morning

   12) I _________________________________________ (the brakes / check) three times a

         year

   13) The government _________________________________________ (the whole town /

         evacuate) yesterday

   14) I _________________________________________ (my hard drive / change) for a

         bigger one last week.

   15) When did you last _________________________________________ (the air

          conditioner / service)?

   16) Don’t you think Liv Tyler’s beautiful? You should

         _________________________________________ (your eyes / test)

   17) After the plague of fleas, the boss _________________________________________

         (the office / disinfect)

   18) Your cat’s coughing. You need to _________________________________________

         (him / treat) for parasites.

   19) Daphne _________________________________________ (her legs / do) once a

         fortnight

   20) I normally _________________________________________ (my suit dry / clean)

         before a wedding

   21) The headmaster __________ _______________________________ (all the lockers /

         search) for the missing football footballs yesterday

   22) Have you _________________________________________ (your house / double-glaze)?

   23)  _________________________________________  (the poster / frame) yet?

   24) The house is in a chaos. We _________________________________________ (a new

         kitchen / put) in now

   25) Tomorrow she __________________________________________ (the chimney/sweep)

  

6.- REWRITE IN HAVE SOMETHING DONE

   1) A tailor made an evening dress for me.

      

   2) My watch is going to be repair

      

   3) She’ll have to ask someone to paint her flat.

      

   4) Someone must send the letter for him.

      

   5) The maid cleans my grandmother’s windows every month.

       

   6) She should ask someone to cut the tree down.

      

   7) She is asking the hairdresser to do her hair.

      

   8) Someone has shortened John’s sleeves.

      

   9) Our car is checked regularly.

       

 10) You must ask the porter to cut the grass in the front garden.

      

 11) That girl was cleaning their room every day.

      

12) The chef would cook us a very special dinner.

      

13) The photographer has taken a photo of me.

     

14) Are they building our house.

     

15) The dress-maker will make a beautiful dress for Judy.

     

16) Our new telephone line has been being installed by the technician.

      

17) Did the agent publish Mary’s book last year?

     

18) Does a photographer develop my photos?

     

19) My dentist took one of my wise teeth out.

      

20) He hasn’t fixed her television set.

     

21) She wasn’t brushing Peter’s hair.

     

22) They are going to decorate my brother’s room tomorrow.

      

23) My videos had been put on a CD

      

24) I’ll ask the technician to fix my computer

     

25) Are Maria's walls going to be painted?

     

26) We have asked someone to check the accounts every two weeks.

      

27) Am I taking her a photo?           

     

28) Laura will be asking the dry cleaners to do her laundry

     

29) Somebody has broken my window

    

30) A birthday party is being organized for me by my friends