Passive Voice PDF

VOICE When should we use the Passive? When we want to change the focus of the sentence/ Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action. Ex: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested...

VOICE When should we use the Passive? When we want to change the focus of the sentence/ Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action. Ex: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this sentence) Ex: "A letter was written." (The focus, here, is on the fact that a letter was written. We don't know, however, who wrote it.) When PV is polite than active voice, as : A mistake was made. In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.). When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or ‘people in general’: He was arrested (obvious agent, the police). My bike has been stolen (unknown agent). The road is being repaired (unimportant agent). The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general). In factual or scientific writing: The chemical is placed in a test tube. In formal writing instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in speaking or informal writing): The brochure will be finished next month. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style: Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. (‘Dr. Bell wrote the books’ sound clumsy) When the subject is very long: I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: ‘how well the students did in the test surprised me'. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice; Ex: A vase was broken. (Focus, here, is on the fact that a vase was broken, but we don't blame anyone. Compare this to: "You broke the vase.") Form : Subject + the appropriate form of to be + Past Participle The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The form of the verb is the appropriate form of to be (the tense of the active voice main verb) + the past participle. The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped.) Activ Nancy make tea e s subject verb object Passi Tea is (by Nancy) ve made object becoming verb subject becoming object or subject is dropped An active sentence like ‘I drank two cups of coffee’ has the subject first (the person or thing that does the verb), followed by the verb, and finally the object (the person or thing that the action happens to). So, in this example, the subject is I, the verb is ‘drank’ and the object is ‘two cups of coffee’. But, we don't always need to make sentences this way. We might want to put the object first, or not say who did something, for lots of reasons In this case, we can use a passive, which puts the object first: for example, ‘two cups of coffee were drunk’. We can add ‘by me’ if we want, but it isn't necessary. tense active passive present simple I make a cake A cake is made (by me) present I am making a cake A cake is being made (by continuous me) past simple I made a cake A cake was made (by me) past continuous I was making a A cake was being made (by cake me) present perfect I have made a cake A cake has been made (by me) pres. perf. I have been A cake has been being continuous making a cake made (by me) past perfect I had made a cake A cake had been made (by me) future simple I will make a cake A cake will be made (by me) future perfect I will have made a A cake will have been cake made (by me) Examples of the passive voice: Tense Subject Verb Object Simple Active Nancy makes tea. Present : Passiv Tea is made by Nancy. e: Present Active Nancy is making tea. Progressive : Passiv Tea is being made by Nancy. e: Simple Past Active Nancy made tea. : Passiv Tea was made by Nancy. e: Past Active Nancy was making tea. Progressive : Passiv Tea was being made by Nancy. e: Present Active Nancy has made Tea.  Perfect : Passiv Tea has been made by Nancy. e: Past Perfect Active Nancy had made tea. : Passiv Tea had been made by Nancy. e: Future Active Nancy will make tea. simple : Passiv Tea will be made by Nancy. e: Future Active Nancy will have made tea. perfect : Passiv Tea will have been by Nancy. e: made Conditional Active Nancy would make tea. : Passiv Tea would be made by Nancy. e: Modals Active Nancy can make tea. : Passiv Tea can be made by Nancy. e: Verbs with two objects: Some verbs that have two objects can make two different passive sentences: For example: ‘give’ - Active: He gave me the book / He gave the book to me. You can choose either of the two objects to be the subject of the passive sentence. Passive: I was given the book (by him)/ The book was given to me (by him) Other verbs like this are: ask, offer, teach, tell, lend, promise, sell, throw, buy, present, gift, Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on. Active/ Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Passive Active: Nancy offered a flower to me. Passive: A flower was offered to me by Nancy. Passive: I was offered a flower by Nancy. Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Active: Rita wrote a letter to me. Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita. Passive: I was written a letter by Rita. Examples of Passive: Tense Subject Verb Object Simple Active: Rita writes a letter. Present Passive: A letter is written by Rita. Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by Rita. Present Active: Rita has written a letter. Perfect Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. Future I Active: Rita will write a letter. Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. Modal verb Active: Rita can write a letter. Passive: A letter can be written by Rita. Examples of Passive Tense Subject Verb Object Present Active: Rita is writing a letter. Progressive Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. Past Active: Rita was writing a letter. Progressive Passive: A letter was being written by Rita. Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter. Passive: A letter had been written by Rita. Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter. Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita. Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter. Passive: A letter would be written by Rita. Conditional Active: Rita would have written a letter. II Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita. Exercise - Simple Present 1. He opens the door. - The door is opened by him. 2. We set the table. - The table is set by us. 3. She pays a lot of money. - A lot of money is paid by her. 4. I draw a picture. - A picture is drawn by me. 5. They wear blue shoes. - Blue shoes are worn by them. 6. They don't help you. - You are not helped by them 7. He doesn't open the book. - The book is not opened by him. 8. You do not write the letter. - The letter is not written by you. 9. Does your mum pick you up? - Are you picked up by your mum?  10. Does the police officer catch the thief? - Is the thief caught by the police officer? Exercise - Simple Past 1. She sang a song. - A song was sung by her. 2. Somebody hit me. - I was hit by somebody. 3. We stopped the bus. - The bus was stopped by us. 4. A thief stole my car. - My car was stolen by a thief. 5. They didn't let him go. - He was not let go by them. 6. She didn't win the prize. - The prize was not won by her. 7. They didn't make their beds. - Their beds were not made by them. 8. I did not tell them. - They were not told by me. 9. Did you tell them? - Were they told by you? 10. Did he send the letter? - Was the letter sent by him? Exercise - Present Perfect 1. Kerrie has paid the bill. - The bill has been paid by Kerrie. 2. I have eaten a hamburger. - A hamburger has been eaten by me. 3. We have cycled five miles. - Five miles have been cycled by us. 4. I have opened the present. - The present has been opened by me. 5. They have not read the book. - The book has not been read by them. 6. You have not sent the parcel. - The parcel has not been sent by you. 7. We have not agreed to this issue. - This issue has not been agreed to by us. 8. They have not caught the thieves. - The thieves have not been caught by them. 9. Has she phoned him? - Has he been phoned by her? 10. Have they noticed us? - Have we been noticed by them? Exercise - Future I 1. Jane will buy a new computer. - A new computer will be bought by Jane. 2. Her boyfriend will install it. - It will be installed by her boyfriend. 3. Millions of people will visit the museum. - The museum will be visited by millions of people. 4. Our boss will sign the contract. - The contract will be signed by our boss. 5. You will not do it. - It will not be done by you. 6. They will not show the new film. - The new film will not be shown by them. 7. He won't see Sue. - Sue will not be seen by him. 8. They will not ask him. - He will not be asked by them 9. Will the company employ a new worker? - Will a new worker be employed by the company?  10. Will the plumber repair the shower? - Will the shower be repaired by the plumber? Exercise with Auxiliary Verbs 1. I can answer the question. - The question can be answered by me. 2. She would carry the box. - The box would be carried by her. 3. You should open the window. - The window should be opened by you. 4. We might play cards. - Cards might be played by us. 5. You ought to wash the car. - The car ought to be washed by you 6. He must fill in the form. - The form must be filled in by him. 7. They need not buy bread. - Bread need not be bought by them. 8. He could not read the sentence. - The sentence could not be read by him. 9. Will the teacher test our English? - Will our English be tested by the teacher? 10. Could Jenny lock the door? - Could the door be locked by Jenny? Mixed Exercise on Passive Voice 1. John collects money. - Money is collected by John. 2. Anna opened the window. - The window was opened by Anna. 3. We have done our homework. - Our homework has been done by us. 4. I will ask a question. - A question will be asked by me. 5. He can cut out the picture. - The picture can be cut out by him. 6. The sheep ate a lot. - A lot was eaten by the sheep. 7. We do not clean our rooms. - Our rooms are not cleaned by us 8. William will not repair the car. - The car will not be repaired by William. 9. Did Sue draw this circle? - Was this circle drawn by Sue? 10. Could you feed the dog? - Could the dog be fed by you? WITH TWO OBJECTS ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE OBJECT-1 PASSIVE OBJECT-2 Rachel will give you some advice. You will be given some advice. Some advice will be given to you. I sent him a letter. He was sent a letter. The police officer showed us the We were shown the way. A letter was sent to him. way. I was given a lift. The way was shown to us. Our neighbour gave me a lift. He has been asked a favour. A lift was given to me. We have asked him a favour. I was told a lie. A favour has been asked of him. She told me a lie. She has been written a A lie was told to me. They have written her a postcard. postcard. A postcard has been written to Kerrie will make you a cup of tea. You will be made a cup of tea. her. The waiter has not brought us the We have not been brought the A cup of tea will be made for you. coffee. coffee. They did not offer her a seat. She was not offered a seat. The coffee has not been brought to us. A seat was not offered to her. Exercise - Present Progressive 1. Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. - A cup of tea is being drunk by Sheila. 2. My father is washing the car. - The car is being washed by my father. 3. Farmer Joe is milking the cows. - The cows are being milked by farmer Joe. 4. She is taking a picture of him. - A picture of him is being taken by her. 5. I am writing a poem. - A poem is being written by me. 6. We are not playing football. - Football is not being played by us. 7. He is not wearing a tie. - A tie is not being worn by him. 8. Is she preparing the party? - Is the party being prepared by her? 9. Are they talking about the meeting? - Is the meeting being talked about by them? 10. Is she watering the flowers? - Are the flowers being watered by her? Exercise on Passive Voice - Past Perfect 1. I had worn blue shoes. - Blue shoes had been worn by me. 2. Joe had cleaned the tables. - The tables had been cleaned by Joe. 3. We had lost the key. - The key had been lost by us. 4. They had started a fight. - A fight had been started by them. 5. I had been reading an article. - An article had been read by me. 6. I had not closed the window. - The window had not been closed by me. 7. They had not bought the paper. - The paper had not been bought by them. 8. She had not noticed me. - I had not been noticed by her. 9. Had she solved the problem? - Had the problem been solved by her? 10. Had he recorded that song? - Had that song been recorded by him? Exercise on Passive Voice - Future II 1. Frank will have ordered the drinks. - The drinks will have been ordered by Frank. 2. You will have spent all the money. - All the money will have been spent by you. 3. I will have taken the dog for a walk. - The dog will have been taken for a walk by me. 4. She will have sold the car. - The car will have been sold by her. 5. They will have solved the problem. - The problem will have been solved by them. 6. She will not have read the book. - The book will not have been read by her. 7. They will not have trusted him. - He will not have been trusted by them. 8. He won't have rung Barbara. - Barbara will not have been rung by him.  9. Will they have paid the bill? - Will the bill have been paid by them? 10. Will you have washed my socks? - Will my socks have been washed by you? Exercise on Passive Voice - Conditional I 1. Jenny would congratulate you. - You would be congratulated by Jenny. 2. We would pick you up. - You would be picked up by us. 3. She would order a pizza. - A pizza would be ordered by her. 4. He would build a new house. - A new house would be built by him. 5. They would take the opportunity. - The opportunity would be taken by them. 6. You would not recognize Jim. - Jim would not be recognized by you. 7. I would not do that kind of job. - That kind of job would not be done by me. 8. Would they decorate the room? - Would the room be decorated by them? 9. Would the DJ play this song? - Would this song be played by the DJ? 10. Would Simon open the window? - Would the window be opened by Simon? Exercise on Passive Voice - Conditional II 1. They would have told you. - You would have been told by them. 2. We would have spoken English. - English would have been spoken by us. 3. Mario would have bought a paper. - A paper would have been bought by Mario. 4. She would have called the police. - The police would have been called by her. 5. We would have painted the walls green. - The walls would have been painted green by us. 6. She would not have noticed the mistake. - The mistake would not have been noticed by her. 7. I would not have given this book away. - This book would not have been given away by me. 8. Would my mum have packed the bag? - Would the bag have been packed by my mum? 9. Would you have accepted that offer? - Would that offer have been accepted by you? 10. Would they have given the right answer? - Would the right answer have been given by them? The Passive: Mixed Tenses 1. People speak Portuguese in Brazil. 2. The Government is planning a new road near my house. 3. My grandfather built this house in 1943. 4. Picasso was painting Guernica at that time. 5. The cleaner has cleaned the office. 6. He had written three books before 1867. 7. John will tell you later. 8. By this time tomorrow we will have signed the deal. 9. Somebody should do the work. 10. The traffic might have delayed Jimmy. 11. Everybody loves Mr Brown. 12. They are building a new stadium near the station. 13. The wolf ate the princess. 14. At six o’clock someone was telling a story. 15. Somebody has drunk all the milk! 16. I had cleaned all the windows before the storm. 17. A workman will repair the computer tomorrow. 18. By next year the students will have studied the passive. 19. James might cook dinner. 20. Somebody must have taken my wallet. Answers: 1. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil. 2. A new road is being planned near my house. 3. This house was built (by my grandfather) in 1943. 4. Guernica was being painted (by Picasso) at that time. 5. The office has been cleaned. 6. Three books had been written before 1867. 7. You will be told (by John) later. 8. By this time tomorrow the deal will have been signed. 9. The work should be done. 10. Jimmy might have been delayed (by the traffic). 11. Mr Brown is loved (by everybody). 12. A new stadium is being built near the station. 13. The princess was eaten (by the wolf). 14. At six o’clock a story was being told. 15. All the milk has been drunk! 16. All the windows had been cleaned (by me) before the storm. 17. The computer will be repaired tomorrow. 18. By next year the passive will have been studied (by the students). 19. Dinner might be cooked (by James). 20. My wallet must have been taken. The Passive: Future Simple 1. Somebody will clean the windows. 2. Somebody will meet you at the airport. 3. Somebody will process your application. 4. Somebody will find your glasses. 5. Somebody will bring food. 6. Somebody will help you. 7. Somebody will steal that bicycle. 8. Somebody will take your order. 9. Somebody will write a new book. 10. Somebody will build a stadium. 11. Somebody will collect your luggage. 12. Somebody will explain the plan. 13. Somebody will wash the floor later. 14. Somebody will deliver a parcel. 15. Somebody will drink all the juice. 16. Somebody will prepare everything. 17. Somebody will write the article next week. 18. Somebody will eat the chocolate. 19. Somebody will send the information. 20. Somebody will call you. Answers: 1. The windows will be cleaned 2. You will be met at the airport. 3. Your application will be processed. 4. Your glasses will be found. 5. Food will be brought. 6. You will be helped. 7. That bicycle will be stolen. 8. Your order will be taken. 9. A new book will be written. 10. A stadium will be built. 11. Your luggage will be collected. 12. The plan will be explained. 13. The floor will be washed later. 14. A parcel will be delivered. 15. All the juice will be drunk. 16. Everything will be prepared. 17. The article will be written next week. 18. The chocolate will be eaten. 19. The information will be sent. 20. You will be called. The Passive: Past Simple 1. Somebody lost the letter. 2. Somebody found the key. 3. Somebody made mistakes. 4. Somebody loved that woman. 5. Somebody cleaned the rooms. 6. Somebody fixed the computer. 7. Somebody built that house. 8. Somebody wrote ‘War and Peace’. 9. Somebody painted The Mona Lisa. 10. Somebody stole my wallet. 11. Somebody prepared lunch. 12. Somebody drank a lot of coffee. 13. Somebody forgot the papers. 14. Somebody closed the windows. 15. Somebody invited Julie and Luke to a party. 16. Somebody built a website. 17. Somebody ate all the cakes. 18. Somebody told me to wait. 19. Somebody employed a lot of new waiters. 20. Somebody opened a shop. ANSWERS 1. The letter was lost. 2. The key was found. 3. Mistakes were made. 4. That woman was loved. 5. The rooms were cleaned. 6. The computer was fixed. 7. That house was built. 8. ‘War and Peace’ was written. 9. The Mona Lisa was painted. 10. My wallet was stolen. 11. Lunch was prepared. 12. A lot of coffee was drunk. 13. The papers were forgotten. 14. The windows were closed. 15. Julie and Luke were invited to a party. 16. A website was built. 17. All the cakes were eaten. 18. I was told to wait. 19. A lot of new waiters were employed. 20. A shop was opened. The Passive: Present Perfect 1. Somebody has cleaned the kitchen. 2. Somebody has watered the plants. 3. Somebody has taken the money. 4. Somebody has bought the presents. 5. Somebody has finished the report. 6. Somebody has killed the President. 7. Somebody has repaired the road. 8. Somebody has elected that man. 9. Somebody has learned lessons. 10. Somebody has fired John. 11. Somebody has ordered new books. 12. Somebody has prepared the meal. 13. Somebody has sent the email. 14. Somebody has eaten the strawberries. 15. Somebody has fixed the heating. 16. Somebody has made coffee. 17. Somebody has turned on the air conditioning. 18. Somebody has downloaded the song. 19. Somebody has rented a flat. 20. Somebody has booked the holiday. Answers: 1. The kitchen has been cleaned. 2. The plants have been watered. 3. The money has been taken. 4. The presents have been bought. 5. The report has been finished. 6. The President has been killed. 7. The road has been repaired. 8. That man has been elected. 9. Lessons have been learned. 10. John has been fired. 11. New books have been ordered. 12. The meal has been prepared. 13. The email has been sent. 14. The strawberries have been eaten. 15. The heating has been fixed. 16. Coffee has been made. 17. The air conditioning has been turned on. 18. The song has been downloaded. 19. A flat has been rented. 20. The holiday has been booked. The Passive: Present Simple 1. Somebody cleans the office every day. 2. Somebody sends emails. 3. Somebody cuts the grass. 4. Somebody prefers chocolate. 5. Somebody often steals cars. 6. Somebody plays loud music. 7. Somebody speaks English here. 8. Somebody loves the London parks. 9. Somebody wants staff. 10. Somebody writes articles.. 11. Somebody loves Julie. 12. Somebody reads a lot of books. 13. Somebody cooks dinner everyday. 14. Somebody delivers milk in the mornings. 15. Somebody buys flowers for the flat. 16. Somebody washes the cars every week. 17. Somebody writes a report every Friday. 18. Somebody fixes the roads. 19. Somebody builds new houses every year. 20. Somebody sells vegetables in the market. Answers: 1. The office is cleaned every day. 2. Emails are sent. 3. The grass is cut. 4. Chocolate is preferred. 5. Cars are often stolen. 6. Loud music is played. 7. English is spoken here. 8. The London parks are loved. 9. Staff are wanted. 10. Articles are written. 11. Julie is loved. 12. A lot of books are read. 13. Dinner is cooked everyday. 14. Milk is delivered in the mornings. 15. Flowers are bought for the flat. 16. The cars are washed every week. 17. A report is written every Friday. 18. The roads are fixed. 19. New houses are built every year. 20. Vegetables are sold in the market. The Passive: Verbs with Two Objects This time there are two answers: 1. John gave a bar of chocolate to Jill. 2. I lent a pencil to Graham. 3. Fiona told the truth to Julian. 4. They offered the job to Simon. 5. The boss showed the new computer to Anna. 6. Julie taught the grammar to the students. 7. I sent the email to John. 8. Lucy threw the ball to the child. 9. Sophia sold the car to a doctor. 10. I asked the question to David. Answers: 1. a: Jill was given a bar of chocolate (by John). b: A bar of chocolate was given to Jill (by John). 2. a: Graham was lent a pencil (by me). b: A pencil was lent to Graham (by me). 3. a: Julian was told the truth (by Fiona). b: The truth was told to Julian (by Fiona). 4. a: Simon was offered the job (by them). b: The job was offered to Simon (by them). 5. a: Anna was shown the new computer (by the boss). b: The new computer was shown to Anna (by the boss). 6. a: The students were taught the grammar (by Julie). b: The grammar was taught to the students (by Julie). 7. a: John was sent the email (by me). b: The email was sent to John (by me). 8. a: The child was thrown the ball (by Lucy). b: The ball was thrown to the child (by Lucy). 9. a: A doctor was sold the car (by Sophia). b: The car was sold to a doctor (by Sophia). 10. a: David was asked the question (by me). b: The question was asked to David (by me). Personal Passive 1. People know that she is a good swimmer. → She is known to be a good swimmer. 2. They say that Francis is in hospital. → Francis is said to be in hospital. 3. They think that the children are in bed. → The children are thought to be in bed. 4. People believe that the robber has worked in the bank. → The robber is believed to have worked in the bank. 5. People believe that nuclear power stations are dangerous. → Nuclear power stations are believed to be dangerous. 6. His collegues thought that he was on holiday. → He was thought to be on holiday. 7. People know that cars pollute the environment. → Cars are known to pollute the environment. 8. They suppose that the new product will come out soon. → The new product is supposed to come out soon. 9. They found that the mission was impossible. → The mission was found to be impossible. 10. They believe that she will win a gold medal. → She is believed to win a gold medal. Exercise on Passive Voice – Simple Present Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). Use Simple Present. 1. He sells cars. 2. The blue car is sold. 3. In summer, more ice-cream is eaten than in winter. 4. She calls her grandparents every Friday. 5. The letters are typed. 6. He takes his medicine every day. 7. Jane is not taken to school by her father. 8. We go to school by bus. 9. She does not work for a bank. 10. Milk is kept in the refrigerator. Exercise on Passive Voice – Simple Past Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). Use Simple Past. 1. They visited their granny. 2. We were visited by our teacher. 3. My friend Paul was born in Dallas. 4. She went to school in Boston. 5. Antony grew up in the country. 6. The new shopping centre was built last year. 7. The film was not produced in Hollywood. 8. Barbara knew James very well. 9. The jewels were not hidden in the cellar. 10. We did not spend all day on the beach. Exercise on Passive Voice – Present Perfect Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). Use Present Perfect Simple. 1. The car has been stolen. 2. I have baked a cake. 3. My friends have bought a house. 4. The cup has been put on the table.  5. Trees have been planted in the street. 6. The boy has not fallen off his bike. 7. I have not been bitten by a snake. 8. He has stepped on my toe. 9. We have walked all the way home. 10. She has not been picked up by a friend. Exercise on Passive Voice – Future I mit will Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). Use Future I mit will. 1. The house will be built here. 2. You will be sent home. 3. I will eat an ice-cream. 4. We will go home now. 5. I will help you. 6. The match will not be won by our team. 7. The weather will not improve tomorrow. 8. The trees will be cut down. 9. The meeting will not be cancelled. 10. They will not do that again. Passiv Textübung – The Statue of Liberty Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). You must either use Simple Present or Simple Past. 1. The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France. 2. It was a present on the 100th anniversary of the United States. 3. The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. 4. It was completed in France in July 1884. 5. In 350 pieces, the statue then was shipped to New York, where it arrived on 17 June 1885. 6. The pieces were put together and the opening ceremony took place on 28 October 1886. 7. The Statue of Liberty is 46 m high (93 m including the base). 8. The statue represents the goddess of liberty. 9. She holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand. 10. On the tablet you can see the date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).  11. Every year, the Statue of Liberty is visited by many people from all over the world. 0 out of 13 answers are correct. Passiv Textübung – Portal Dolmen Complete the sentences (Simple Present oder Simple Past). Entscheide, ob du Active or Passive Voice Usen musst. 1. Portal dolmens are ancient tombs. 2. They were built about 6000 years ago. 3. In order to build such a tomb, ancient people put up big stones. 4. These standing stones then formed the walls. 5. Another huge stone, the cap stone, was placed on top of the other stones. 6. Finally, the tomb had the form of a little chamber. 7. In that chamber, the dead person was buried. 8. Then the entrance to the tomb was closed with another stone. 9. Nowadays, portal dolmens can be seen in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. 10. They are called portal dolmens because they look like a huge doorway (or portal) Passive Voice - Exercises on Form Write passive sentences in Simple Present. 1. The documents are printed. 2. The window is opened. 3. The shoes are bought. 4. The car is washed. 5. The litter is thrown away. 6. The letter is sent. 7. The book is not read. 8. The songs are not sung. 9. The food is not eaten. 10. The shop is not closed. Passive Voice - Exercises on Form Write passive sentences in Simple Past. 1. The test was written. 2. The table was set. 3. The cat was fed. 4. The lights were switched on. 5. The house was built. 6. Dinner was served. 7. This computer was not sold. 8. The car was not stopped. 9. The tables were not cleaned. 10. The children were not picked up. Passive Voice - Exercises on Form Write passive sentences in Present Perfect. 1. The postcard has been sent. 2. The pencils have been counted. 3. The door has been closed. 4. The beds have been made. 5. The mail has been written. 6. The trees have been planted. 7. The money has been spent. 8. The room has not been booked. 9. The rent has not been paid. 10. The people have not been informed. Passive Voice - Exercises on Form Write passive sentences in Future I. 1. The exhibition will be visited. 2. The windows will be cleaned. 3. The message will be read. 4. The thief will be arrested. 5. The photo will be taken. 6. These songs will be sung. 7. The sign will not be seen. 8. A dictionary will not be used.  9. Credit cards will not be accepted. 10. The ring will not be found. Exercise on Tenses in Summaries - Part 1 Summary - The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) Summaries are usually written in present tense. Simple present is the most important tense in summaries. But other tenses are important,too. Decide whether to use simple present, simple past, present perfect, conjunctive or passive voice. Use the long forms. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is set in a fictive world, Middle Earth. It tells the story of Frodo, a hobbit, and a magic ring. As the story begins, Frodo is given a magic ring. The wizard Gandalf then tells him of the Rings of Power and of Sauron, the Dark Lord, who made the Master Ring to rule all other Rings. Gandalf advises Frodo to leave home and keep the ring out of Sauron's hands who already has sent his Black Riders in search for it. Frodo's ring would give Sauron the power to enslave Middle Earth. Personal and Impersonal Passive: Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive. Example: They build houses. – Houses are built. Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive. Example: he says – it is said Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know). Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men. Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common. Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men. The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped). Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence. Impersonal Passive: (AV)They say that the planet is in danger =It is said that the planet is in danger. (PV) This type of passive is called impersonal because we use the impersonal form "it is..." This is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know...) Ex: It is said that..., It is thought that..., It is believed that...,It is known that...., It is also common that we start the passive form of these sentences with the subject of the that- clause: Ex: They say that the planet is in danger.= The planet is said to be in danger.(PV) They think that women live longer than men. = Women are thought to live longer.(PV)