THE PASSIVE

Choose the most suitable tense:

Mickey Mouse (1) is born/was born on Walt Disneys sketchpad in March 1928. The first
cartoon, Plane Crazy, (2) was premiered/premiered two month later on Sunset Boulevard. It
was on November 1928 that Mickey Mouse (3) has officially born/was officially born. He (4)
is featured/was featured/had been featured in Steamboat Willie, a film that (5) had been
screened/is being screened/was screened at the Colony Theatre in New York and (6) was first
animated/had been first animated/will be first animated movie to use syncronised sound.
Minnie Mouse, Mickeys girlfriend, (7) was also featured/will be also featured/is being also
featured. The now familiar falsetto voice of Mickey (8) has been provided/is provided/was
provided by Walt Disney himself.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs nearly bankrupted the company and (9) will be
finally/was finally released/is finally released in December 1937.

Underline the correct form of the verbs:

It was a hot summer day in a large industrial city. The temperature had soared into the 90s
and the humidity was just as high. It soft, gentle breeze (1) would have been welcome/was
welcome, but never came. Instead the air (2) was felt/feeling heavy, and people reacted
strongly. Their eyes teared, their throats (3) were hurned/hurning and their lungs (4) became
congested/congesting. Some (5) had to be rushed/having rushed to hospitals, others (6) were
forced/were being forced to stay inside.
The same scenario began repeating itself in city after city throughout the country. Air pollution
which (7) was brought about/was been brought by increased industrial development, was
affecting peoples health. They became angry that air pollution was ruining their lives and felt
that the government should do something about it. People from various states claimed that
pollution (8) should be controlled/will be controlled.

Turn into the passive voice. Pay attention to the preposition following the verbs:

1. Grannie was ill so they send for the doctor.

2. All the members of the board objected to the chairmans suggestion.

3. Finally the opponents have arrived at an agreement.

4. The morning newspaper will comment upon the terrorist attack.

5. The audience were carefully listening to the professors interesting lecture.

6. Her parents insisted on her applying for a nurse job.

7. Parents must look after their babies all the time.

8. The jury awarded the prize to the best student.

9. The strong wind blew that womans hat off.

10. He is shutting up his house at the seaside for the winter.



Rephrase the following sentences.
1. The teacher is calling the roll.
The roll
2. Susie lost her money on a side road.
Money..
3. Father gave the order to the waiter.
The waiter..
4. The police have investigated the case for two months.
The case..
5. The secretary types the letters and sends them by morning post.
The letters
6. The journalists often interview political leaders.
Political leaders..
7. They say that famous people wear very expensive clothes.
Famous people.
8. They are building a new town hall this year.
A new town hall
9. The dentist pulled his tooth out.
His tooth
10. The old woman fed crumbs to the pigeon.
The pigeons..
11. The guide is showing exhibits to the tourists.
The tourists..
12. They will give the result to the applicants waiting outside for the building.
The applicants
13. Mr. Brown always gives flowers to his wife on their wedding anniversary.
Mrs. Brown..
14. The manager was promised a salary rise to his employees.
A salary rise
15. She handed her application form to the deputy manager.
Her application form.
16. They read carefully the instructions before using the equipment.
The instructions

Rewrite these sentences in the Passive.
1. Buses take the commuters home each evening.

2. They put the saddles on their horses and went for a ride.

3. Parents dont make their children work very hard at home nowadays.

4. You can admire the beautiful scenery from our house.

5. He will send his car abroad.

6. Smoke filled the dinning-room.

7. The headmaster has sent the students to the library.

8. Someone has stolen my purse.

9. A van will bring the milk to your hotel.

10. The Manager wrote the reply letters.