2. Passive Tense Forms

Exercise 129. Find sentences in the passive and translate them into Russian.

1. He left for Moscow.

2. The news will be of great interest.

3. They were speaking to him.

4. He was much spoken about.

5. New equipment will be bought next year.

6. I’m watching a film now.

7. The film has already been shot by them.

8. The film-star is being interviewed at the moment.

9. When I saw him he was going home.

10. This dinner had been cooked by 6 p.m.

11. We have invited them to the party.

12. We will be negotiating with the foreign office at 10 o’clock.

13. The work will be done when he comes.

14. These toys are made in Japan.

15. I am often asked by journalists.

16. These houses were built last year.

17. This film is much spoken about.

Exercise 130. Identify the passive tense in the sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. English is spoken here.

2. Excuse the mess: the house is being painted.

3. I wasn’t invited, but I went.

4. I felt I was being watched.

5. Has Mary been told?

6. I knew I had been forgotten.

7. You’ll be told soon.

8. Everything will have been done by Tuesday.

9. Who’s going to be invited?

10. This house was built in 1486 by Sir John Latton.

Exercise 131. Translate the sentences into English (Simple Tenses).

A (Present Simple Passive)

1. Я рассказал – мне рассказали.

2. Я показал – мне показали.

3. Она наградила – ее наградили.

4. Мы спросили – нас спросили.

5. Мы ответили – нам ответили.

6. Он помог – ему помогли.

7. Он посоветовал – ему посоветовали.

8. Мы пригласили – нас пригласили.

9. Она встречает – ее встречают.

10. Он позвал – его позвали.

B (Past, Present, Future Simple Passive)

1. Мне рассказали – мне рассказывают – мне расскажут.

2. Мне показали – мне показывают – мне покажут.

3. Ее наградили – ее награждают – ее наградят.

4. Нас спросили – нас спрашивают – нас спросят.

5. Нам ответили – нам отвечают – нам ответят.

6. Ему помогли – ему помогают – ему помогут.

7. Ему посоветовали – ему советуют – ему посоветуют.

8. Нас пригласили – нас приглашают – нас пригласят.

9. Ее встретили – ее встречают – ее встретят.

10. Его позвали – его зовут – его позовут.

Exercise 132. Make up the sentences in the passive (Simple Tenses).

1. Bread (to eat) every day.

2. Hockey (to play) in winter.

3. Mushrooms (to pick up) in autumn.

4. We (to invite) to a rock concert last Saturday.

5. This bone (to give) to my dog tomorrow.

6. Many houses (to build) in our town every year.

7. This work (to do) tomorrow.

8. Many houses (to burn) during the Great Fire of London

9. Ufa (to found) in 1574.

10. Flowers (to sell) in shops and in the streets.

Exercise 133. Make up the true sentences in the passive (Simple Tenses).

Example: The wireless / invent / Popov and Marconi.  The wireless was

invented by Popov and Marconi.

1. Mickey Mouse / paint / Walt Disney.

2. America / discover / Eric the Red.

3. The light bulb / invent / Thomas Edison .

4. Oliver Twister / write / Dickens.

5. The telephone / invent / Alexander Bell.

6. The Pyramids / build / the Ancient Egyptians.

7. Lord of the Rings / write / J.R.R. Tolkien.

8. Yesterday / write / the Beatles.

9. The safety razor / invent / King Camp Gillette.

10. The Statue of Liberty / make / in France.

Exercise 134. Turn the sentences into passive.

A (Simple Tenses)

Example: Tom gave her a book.  She was given a book.

1. We request the passengers leaving for London to register.

2. The manager offers Tom several jobs.

3. The policeman fined the driver for exceeding the speed limit.

4. They will cancel all flights because of the fog.

5. The Spanish government offered Columbus three ships.

6. The officer charged him with another very important mission.

7. The bill includes service.

8. His parents will regularly send him parcels with fruit from their garden.

9. The dog usually bits Mr Collins.

10. The ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids.

B (Continuous Tenses)

Example: They are solving a difficult problem now.  The problem is being solved now.

1. Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment.

2. They are building a new ring-road round the city.

3. We have to hurry. They will be waiting for us.

4. The company was developing a new project.

5. You can’t watch the film tonight. The mechanic will be fixing the TV set.

6. Look at this man. I think he is following us.

7. Listen carefully! He is giving a very interesting talk.

8. The waiter was serving us rather fast.

9. The briefing was in full swing. The reporters were interviewing the participants of the conference.

10. I didn’t realise that someone was recording our conversation.

C (Perfect Tenses)

Example: They have already brought the medicine.  The medicine has already been brought.

1. We have repaired our house lately.

2. The athlete has shown much better results since this coach trains him.

3. By his arrival they had fixed his car.

4. The police haven’t found the reason for the accident yet.

5. The president of the board has signed the document.

6. John will have received the papers by tomorrow.

7. The sociologist has interviewed a lot of students.

8. He has booked the tickets and the clerk will have brought them by 2 o’clock.

9. The flood has caused considerable damage.

10. Brian told me that somebody had attacked and robbed him in the street.

Exercise 135. Choose the proper answer.

1. Этот дом был построен в прошлом году.

(was being built/ has been built/was built)

2. Сейчас здесь строится новый супермаркет

(is being built/ is building/ is built)

3. На этой неделе преподаватель объяснил (преподавателем был объяснен) новый материал.

(has been explained/ was explained/ has been explained).

4. Новое здание института уже построили, когда я поступила на юридический факультет.

(was built/ has been built/ had been built)

5. Студентов экзаменуют два раза в год

(are being examined/ is examined/ are examined).

6. «Вы были невнимательными, когда объяснялось это правило», - сказал преподаватель.

(was explained/ had been explained/ was being explained)

7. Цветы уже политы.

(are watered/ have been watered/ were watered)

8. Такие столы делают из дорогого дерева.

(are being made/ have been made/ are made)

9. Этот фильм никогда не показывали по телевизору.

(has never been shown/ was never shown/ had never been shown)

10. Мою квартиру отремонтируют к субботе.

(will be repaired/ will have been repaired/ is being repaired)

11. Списки всё ещё печатаются.

(are typed/ are being typed/ have been typed)

12. Их ещё не пригласили.

(were not invited/ had not been invited/ have not been invited).

13. Вам сообщат об этом завтра.

(will be informed/ will have been informed/ are informed)

14. Когда я вошел, обсуждение было прервано.

(had been interrupted/ was interrupted/ has been interrupted)

15. Земля была покрыта снегом.

(was being covered/ was covered/ had been covered)

Exercise 136. Fill in the sentences with passive verbs.

1.	They make shoes in that factory.		Shoes _____ (are made) in that factory.
2.	People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.		Bicycles _____ in the driveway.
3.	They built that skyscraper in 1934.		That skyscraper _____ in 1934.
4.	The students will finish the course by July.		The course _____ by July.
5.	They are repairing he streets this month.		The streets _____ this month.
6.	They make these tools of plastic.		These tools _____ of plastic.
7.	They have finished the new product design.		The new product design _____.
8.	They were cooking dinner when I arrived.		Dinner _____ when I arrived.
9.	Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.		'Red Sunset' _____ in 1986 by Smithers.
10.	They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.		Beethoven's Fifth Symphony _____ next weekend.
11.	They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.		The preparations _____ by the time the guests arrived.
12.	Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.		Japanese _____ at the meeting.
13.	Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.		The refreshments _____ by Karen.

Exercise 137. Make the sentences passive.

1. Chinese (speak) in Singapore.

2. The Taj Mahal (build) around 1640.

3. The new hospital (open) next year.

4. She (interview) now.

5. I realised I (follow).

6. (you invite) to Andy's party?

7. He found that all his money (steal).

8. These computers (make) in Korea.

9. Passengers (ask) not to speak to the driver.

10. Sorry about the noise - the road (mend).

11. The village church (burn down) last year.

12. A Roman pavement (just find) under Oxford Street.

Exercise 138. Make the sentences in the passive.

1 (The floor/not clean/yet)

2 (The politician/interview/now)

3 (The Mona Lisa/paint/Leonardo da Vinci)

4 (My flat/burgle/last night)

5 (All tickets/sell/before we got there)

6 (The dog/not feed/yet)

7 (The presents/wrap/now)

8 (The prizes/award/President/tomorrow)

9 (Tea/grow/India)

10 (The prisoners/take/to prison/now)

Exercise 139. Rewrite the following sentences in the passive.

1. Police use trained dogs to find drugs.

2. Nurses give the patients their medicine every morning.

3. A lifeguard rescued the drowning boy.

4. An electrician is repairing our water heater.

5. A defence lawyer will represent you.

6. They clean the rooms daily.

7. Customs officers searched her suitcases.

8. Hijackers were holding the plane passengers hostage.

9. A gas leak had caused the explosion.

10. An eyewitness gave the police a full report.

11. The government has increased the tax on cigarettes.

12. They are going to launch the product in May.

Exercise 140. Turn the following into the passive (verbs with two objects).

1. The policeman gave me a ticket.

I was given a ticket (by a policeman).

A ticket was given to me (by a policeman).

2. The waiter is serving them dinner now.

They …

Dinner …

3. The teacher won't show him his marks.

He …

His marks …

4. Ken offered Janet a ride.

Janet …

A ride …

5. Miss Price has taught Arnie a new dance step.

Arnie …

A new dance step …

Exercise 141. Change the structure (verbs with two objects).

Example: Nothing was sent to me.  I was sent nothing.

1. A lot of lies were told to me by the secretary.

2. Papers were brought to us to sign.

3. A clock was given to Henry when he retired.

4. Stories were read to the children.

5. £5,000 is owed to me.

6. A new job has been offered to me.

7. French is taught to us by Mrs Lee.

8. A car has been lent to me for the week.

9. A full explanation was promised to us.

Exercise 142. Rewrite the following story in the passive.

1. My parents own the best restaurant in our town.

2. Last weekend my father dismissed the head waiter as he had stolen some stock from the cellar.

3. My father is going to hire a new waiter as he is doing all the work by himself at the moment.

4. He asked me to help serve the food.

5. However, I mixed up all the orders and the customers made several complaints.

6. I'm sure my father will never ask me to help him again!

Exercise 143. Fill in with a passive verb.