The Passive

Exercise 1. The Passive: Present Simple. Make the sentences passive:

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.

Make the sentences 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.

Exercise 2. The Passive: Present Perfect. Make the sentences passive:

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.

Exercise 3. The Passive: Future Simple. Make the sentences passive:

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.

Exercise 4. The Passive: Mixed Tenses. Change these sentences from active to passive:

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.

Exercise 5. The Passive: Verbs with Two Objects Exercise This time there are two answers:

1. John gave a bar of chocolate to Jill.