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The Passive The passive is formed by using the verb to be followed by the past participle: The house was destroyed by fire. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil. The regulation has been changed. The building will be completed next month. The radio must be repaired. He enjoyed being flattered.

(In the last example but one we have the infinitive form of the passive be + past participle; in the last example the -ing form of be + past participle.) Not every sentence in the active can be changed to the passive. The passive should be restricted to these three uses: 1 When the performer of the action is unknown: His father was killed in the war. My pen has been stolen. 2 When it is unnecessary to state who the performer of the action is: Arabic is spoken in Morocco. This book was printed in England. 3 When we wish to draw attention to the subject rather than the agent: President Kennedy was killed by a bullet. His sister was knocked down by a bus. (In the first and second pairs of examples no mention is made of the performer of the action. It would therefore be quite unrealistic to try to render the same ideas in the active.) EXERCISE 38 (Revision of all Tenses and the Passive) Write out the following sentences using the active or passive as required and the correct tenses. 1 You _____________________(surprise) to hear that I got the job, weren't you? I _____________________

(interview) only ten days ago and I didn't think I ________________________(make) a good impression. I must ______________________(give) good references by the headmaster and Mr Williams. I _____________________ (take up) the position on the first of next month. The salary of the position _______________________(raise) only a month ago and I _______________________(pay) much more than I need. My brother will ask me for a loan when he ______________________(hear) I ____________________________(give) the job.

The results of the examination ____________________________(announce) later this month. My brother

______________________(expect) he has passed, but he _____________________(warn) by his teachers last week to expect the worst. Nobody _______________________(exempt) from the final last year as the general standard _________________________(consider) to be too low.

When the cinema ____________________(collapse) last night several people __________________(kill).

Many more _____________________________(kill) if the tragedy _______________________(occur) half an hour later when the main film was due to _____________________(show). The owner of the cinema ___________ (tell) months ago that the structure _______________(be) faulty and that he ____________________(risk) the lives of hundreds of people if he _____________________(not spend) money on repairs. 4 The game _________________(begin) at two o'clock and by half past two five goals __________________

(score) four by our team. When the referee __________________(blow) the whistle for half time, we _________ __________________(lead) by six goals to one. Later our goal-keeper _____________________(injure) and we __________________(do) badly during the rest of the game. In the end the game _____________________(draw) six six. 5 Latin __________________(speak) by the Romans, who _________________(take) the language with them

to several other countries which they _____________________(conquer). In these countries Latin _____________ (undergo) various changes and eventually ___________________(develop) into French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. In Italy, too, Latin ____________________(evolve) and although Italian _______________(resemble) Latin more than any other modern language ________________(do), it cannot ____________________________ (understand) by an Italian who ________________________(not study) the language. 6 English and French now _____________________(speak) in many parts of Africa. A knowledge of these

languages _____________________(enable) people to communicate with each other all over the continent. In some countries laws _______________________(pass) making one of these languages the official first or second language., and there are few countries where one of them _____________________(not use) for commerce. 7 John _________________________(suffer) from a bad cold for several days now. He _________________

(oblige) to stay indoors over the weekend and ________________________(look after) by his wife, but he ________________(go) to work yesterday although he _____________________(advise) by the doctor to stay at home for a few more days. His work cannot ________________________(do) by anybody else and he __________ (be) very conscientious. 8 During the last war books ______________________(make) of cheap paper. A law ___________________

(pass) forcing publishers to economise. This law __________________________(repeal) until after the war. Books can still ________________________(find) that _______________________(publish) at that time. The binding __________________(be) inferior and very often the paper ________________________(become) discoloured.

Before a house ____________________(build) secure foundations have _______________________(lay).

Many unwise builders _____________________(ruin) by not spending enough money on the foundations. Simply because the foundations cannot _______________________(see) by prospective buyers _____________________ (not mean) that they ______________________(not be) the most important part of the building. 10 In recent years there ____________________(be) great advances in technology. Jobs which ____________

_______________(do) by hand ten years ago can now ___________________(do) by machines. Unfortunately in some countries this development ___________________(cause) unemployment but most people now __________ (believe) that it ____________________(benefit) economies in the long term. 11 My father _____________________(spend) many hours working in the garden recently. It ______________

_______________(neglect) while we __________________(be) on holidays for two months. Weeds ___________ _______________(grow) everywhere and because it ______________________(rain) heavily the grass _________ (be) very tall when we ______________________(return). Some of the plants _______________________(destroy) by dogs and we ____________________(have to) spend a lot of money on new ones in the last two weeks. 12 Roads and railways must _____________________(build) in developing countries so that earth-moving

equipment for the establishment of industries can easily ______________________(transport). When the industries _______________________(establish), the products can ______________________(distribute) and _____________________(export) only if the roads and railways well _________________________(maintain). 13 The judge __________________(tell) that the accused man _______________________(imprison) three

times before. He said that this time he _______________________(discharge) him since he __________________ __________(convince) that he _______________(be) guilty. He ________________________________(sentence) to several years imprisonment if he _____________________________(convict) on that occasion. 14 When a person _____________________(inoculate) disease germs _____________________(introduce)

into the body so that he ___________________(have) a mild attack of the disease to prevent him from being liable to a severe one. Inoculation for smallpox first ___________________________(practise) in Turkey and ________ (use) in England in 1717. 15 If you _________________(wish) to learn a language quickly, begin with the spoken language. When you

_____________________(be able) to express yourself simply, you ___________________(should) write down what you already __________________________(teach) to speak. It _________________________(prove) that people who ________________________(approach) a language in this way ____________________(make) much more rapid progress than those who ________________________(teach) to write from the very first lesson.

TEST ON ALL TENSES AND THE PASSIVE Write out each sentence using the most suitable tense from those supplied. 1 I know that he _______ in the library at this moment. a) has worked b) is working c) works d) was working e) has been working

2 His father __________ as a gardener when he was young, but now he is a driver. a) had worked b) has worked c) used to work d) would work e) had been working 3 John ___________ the examination if he had worked harder. a) would pass b) will pass c) was passing d) had passed 4 Two thousand years ago Latin _______________ in Italy. a) was spoken b) had been spoken c) has been spoken d) is being spoken e) would have passed e) would be spoken e) has been working

5 He ___________on his history essay all yesterday morning. a) used to work b) had worked c) has worked d) was working

6 The fishermen __________ nothing when they returned home. a) were catching b) caught c) had caught d) would catche) have caught 7 He ________ by the police once already. a) is being warned b) has been warned c) is warned d) has warned e) warned e) felt e) will go e) was working

8 At this moment I ___________ that we have a good chance of victory. a) was feeling b) am feeling c) had been feeling d) feel 9 He will have visited all the capitals of Europe when he _________ to Oslo. a) had gone b) went c) goes d) will have gone 10 She _________ hard since the beginning of this term. a) has been working b) had been working c) worked d) is working

11 When he was a young man he ____________ to be a doctor. a) wants b) would want c) wanted d) has wanted 12 At the end of the day I ______________ eight hours' work. a) shall be doing b) shall have done c) shall do d) shall have been doing 13 Before I woke up the burglars ____________ most of my possessions. a) have taken b) were taking c) had taken d) will take 14 All candidates ____________ to take eight subjects. a) required b) are required c) have required 15 I would have told you if I _____________. a) was knowing b) have knownc) were knowing d) being required e) are taking e) requiring

d) had known

e) had been knowing

16 We have done a lot of work on the tenses lately and we now ____________ most of the rules. a) were understanding b) understand c) understood d) are understanding 17 If I ____________ rich enough, I would get married. a) had been b) were c) have been d) am e) will be

18 He ___________ a novel when I entered the room. a) is reading b) has read c) was reading 19 The pupils ____________ home before the storm began. a) have been sent b) were sent c) were being sent

d) has been reading d) were sending

e) will read e) have been sending

20 I ____________ Chemistry ever since I came to this school. a) was studying b) am studyingc) studied d) had been studying e) have been studying 21 A new translation of the bible ____________ by some British scholars. a) is making b) had been made c) making d) made 22 We _____________ this house for five years next April. a) shall be living b) shall have lived c) have lived d) shall live e) is being made e) live

23 He ________ an hour's French every day now that the examination is approaching. a) used to do b) uses to do c) is doing d) did e) was doing 24 Since last year the Principal ____________ a history of the college. a) has been writing b) is writing c) will write d) writes 25 My brother now _________ to go to London to study law. a) wishes b) is wishing c) has wished d) was wishing 26 Our rent _________ by the landlord every month. a) collected b) had collected c) is collected 27 We shall welcome him if he ____________. a) came b) comes c) had come 28 He ______ the meeting if we had written to him. a) will attend b) had attended c) would attend 29 No sooner ___________ the door than the thief fled. a) had I opened b) was I opening c) opened I d) being collected d) was coming e) wrote e) has been wishing e) collects e) has been coming

d) will have attended e) would have attended d) would I open e) have I opened

30 Our teacher ___________ us a test when the Principal entered. a) has given b) gives c) was giving d) will give 31 He ____________ captain of the football team this year if he had not been ill last November. a) will be b) will have been c) would have been d) shall be 32 The players ___________ to report at three o'clock. a) told b) have told c) tell 33 They __________ there four years when the roof fell in. a) lived b) were living c) have been living d) were told d) had been living e) are telling e) will have lived

34 The teacher who came to this school last month ________ a history of Hong Kong for the last two years. a) wrote b) is writing c) writes d) had been writing e) has been writing

35 I shall have read all the works of Dickens when I ___________ The Mystery of Edwin Drood. a) shall finish b) shall have finished c) finished d) am finishing e) finish 36 He _________ early when he lived in the country. a) has got up b) used to get up c) had got up d) was getting up e) had been getting up e) is discussed

37 Your suggestion ____________ by the committee at this moment. a) discussing b) is being discussed c) discussed d) discusses 38 I ___________ my composition just as the invigilator said, 'Pens down.' a) used to finish b) finished c) have finished d) had been finishing 39 Nowadays his father ___________ to work by car. a) goes b) used to go c) has gone d) went

e) was going

40 They ___________ to the cinema if they had known it was the last night of the film. a) will go b) would have gone c) would go d) went e) had gone 41 Mr Lo ____________ headmaster of this school ten years next December. a) was b) will have been c) has been d) will be 42 All the envelopes ___________ by the new clerk. a) had addressed b) addressed c) addressing d) were addressing e) is e) were addressed

43 When he __________ to the university, he will visit us less often. a) goes b) will have gone c) went d) would go. 44 We __________ television for two hours when you knocked at our door. a) watched b) had been watching c) were watching d) have watched 45 He ___________an hour's algebra every morning before coming to school, but now he has to leave home so early that this is impossible. a) has done b) was doing c) used to do d) had done 46 The Principal promised that he ___________ the Ministry next week. a) will visit b) would visit c) has visited d) will have visited 47 That desk __________ several times this year. a) has repaired b) repaired c) has been repaired d) is being repaired e) visits e) had been repaired

48 Whenever he ___________ home, he takes his parents a present. a) went b) has been c) has gone d) goes

e) will go

49 I __________ for four jobs without success and now I am going to continue my studies. a) apply b) am applying c) have applied d) was applying e) had applied 50 We __________ there for six years when the earthquake occurred. a) were living b) would live c) have lived d) had been living 51 We _________ on this exercise for several minutes now. a) were working b) worked c) are working d) have been working

52 Most of the city _________ by an earthquake in 1906. a) destroyed b) was destroyed c) had been destroyed 53 When John was in the first year he _____________ hard. a) has worked b) would have workedc) used to work

d) has destroyed e) was being destroyed d) has been working

54 He __________ by airmail if he knew we wanted the information urgently. a) will reply b) would reply c) would have replied d) has replied 55 Next summer he __________ his secondary education. a) completed b) would complete c) shall have completed d) will have completed

56 My young brother ______ so much noise while I was trying to listen to the music that I could not enjoy it. a) had made b) will be making c) had been making d) was making e) has made 57 a) is He __________ a teacher for twenty years when he became headmaster of our school. b) was c) was being d) had been e) has been d) is being looked after d) will return e) had been looked after e) returns

58 Our baby ________ by my mother tonight. a) looked after b) looking after c) looks after 59 We shall write to him when he ________ to his village. a) had returned b) is returned c) shall return

60 The telephone ____________ in the nineteenth century and is now used in every country of the world. a) has been invented b) had been invented c) was invented d) was being invented