Passive Voice

Put the following into the passive voice.

1 You should open the wine about three hours before you use it.

2 Previous climbers had cut steps in the ice.

3 Somebody had cleaned my shoes and brushed my suit.

4 We use this room only on special occasions.

5 You must not hammer nails into the walls without permission.

6 In some districts farmers use pigs to find truffles.

7 Someone switched on a light and opened the door.

8 Somebody had slashed the picture with a knife.

9 They are pulling down the old theatre.

10 Why didn't they mend the roof before it fell in?

11 The mob broke all the shop windows in recent riots.

12 The librarian said that they were starting a new system because people were not returning books.

13 The police asked each of us about his movements on the night of the crime.

14 Someone will serve refreshments.

15 People must not leave bicycles in the hall.

16 Members may keep books for three weeks. After that they must return them.

17 The burglars had cut an enormous hole in the steel door.

18 I've bought a harp. They are delivering it this afternoon.

(Do not change the first sentence.)

19 Someone has already told him to report for duty at six.

20 They rang the church bells as a flood warning.

21 No one can do anything unless someone gives us more information.

22 People are spending far more money on food now than they spent ten years ago.

23 The organizers will exhibit the paintings till the end of the month.

24 They will say nothing more about the matter if someone returns the stolen gun.

25 It is high time someone told him to stop behaving like a child.

26 A thief stole my dog and brought him back only when I offered Ј20 reward for him.

27 The judge gave him two weeks in which to pay the fine.

28 They make these artificial flowers of silk.

Turn the following sentences into the active voice.

1. This speed limit is to be introduced gradually.

3 The runways are being lengthened at all the main airports.

4 It is now 6 a.m. and at most of the hospitals in the country patients are being wakened with cups of tea.

5 Byron is said to have lived on vinegar and potatoes.

6 By tradition, any sturgeon that are caught by British ships must be offered to the Queen.

7 This notice has been altered.

8 The owners went away last March and since then their houseboat has been used continuously by squatters. (Use a continuous tense and omit continuously.)

9 The damaged ship was being towed into harbour when the towline broke.

10 Have a lift put in and then you won't have to climb up all these stairs.

11 Last year a profit of two million pounds was made in the first six months but this was cancelled by a loss of seventeen million pounds which was made in the second six months.

12 Evening dress will be worn.

13 The ship was put into quarantine and passengers and crew were forbidden to land.

14 Someone will have to be found to take her place.

15 He was made to surrender his passport.

16 This rumour must have been started by our opponents.

17 My paintings are to be exhibited for the first time by New Arts Gallery.

18 This scientific theory has now been proved to be false.

19 The car which was blown over the cliff yesterday is to be salvaged today.

20 The house where the dead man was found is being guarded by the police to prevent it from being entered and the evidence interfered with.

21 Why wasn't the car either locked or put into the garage?

22 It is being said that too little money is being spent by the government on roads.

23 Your money could be put to good use instead of being left idle in the bank.

24 For a long time the earth was believed to be flat.

25 This copy hasn't been read. The pages haven't been cut.

26 The stones were thrown by a student, who was afterwards led away by the police.

27 Carrier pigeons are said to have been used by early Egyptian and Greek sailors.

28 The referee was being escorted from the football field by a strong police guard.