Passive Voice – exercises

Hello Everyone,

As you know, we have been working a lot on the passive voice and some people have asked that we put the answers to our homework on the blog so you can check your work.

So for the assignment, you had some paragraphs in the active form and it was necessary to change them to the passive form.  If you haven’t seen them yet, here are the paragraphs.  The answers will come after 😉

Paragraphs

Change to the passive form

1.  Some people saw a UFO in the sky above London last night.  They reported it to the police.  The army sent a helicopter to look at it more closely.  The UFO shot the helicopter down and killed both men in it.  People have given photographs of the UFO to the police.  Experts are looking at them now.

2.  Someone broke into a local jewellery shop yesterday.  The owner had just locked up the shop when a robber with a gun threatened him.  The robber told him to unlock the shop and give him all the diamonds in the safe.  Then the robber tied him up.  The police have organised a search for the robber.  They hope they will find him in a few days.  Doctors are treating the owner of the shop for shock.

3.  My uncle painted this picture.  Someone has offered him a lot of money for it.  He will deliver the painting tomorrow.  When they give him the money, he will tell them the truth.  He painted it one night while he was sleepwalking.

4.  Our school is organising a contest. The teachers will choose the best project about the environment.  The students must include pictures and drawings in their projects.  The students will also have to do all the writing themselves.  The school will give the winner a set of encyclopaedias.

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Answers:

1.  A UFO was seen in the sky above London last night.  It was reported to the police.  A helicopter was sent by the army to look at it more closely.  The helicopter was shot down by the UFO and both men in it were killed.  Photographs of the UFO have been given to the police.  They are being looked at by experts now.

2.  A local jewellery shop was broken into yesterday.  The shop had just been locked up by the owner, when he was threatened by a robber with a gun.  He was told to unlock the shop and give the robber all the diamonds in the safe.  Then he was tied up.  A search for the robber has been organised by the police.  They hope he will be found in a few days.  The owner of the shop is being treated for shock.

3.  This picture was painted by my uncle.  He has been offered a lot of money for it.  It will be delivered tomorrow.  When my uncle is given the money, they will be told the truth.  It was painted one night while sleepwalking.

4.  A contest is being organised by our school.  The best project about the environment will be chosen by the teachers.  Pictures and drawings must be included in the student’s projects.  The writing will also have to be done by the students themselves.  The winner will be given a set of encyclopaedias.

** In some cases, there is more than one possibility.  If you have come up with a different solution, leave it in the comments, and a teacher will correct it for you!!!

See you soon!

The Passive Voice

In our Grammar Lesson, we have been working a lot on the Passive Voice.

Here are some materials for you to continue working on this grammar point at home!

In an active sentence, we begin with the subject, the person doing the action.

Then we follow by the verb and then the object (the person or thing the action is being performed on.)

For example:

Lisa broke the vase.

But in a passive sentence, we begin with the object.

The vase was broken (by Lisa).

In the passive voice it is not always necessary to say WHO did the action.  We often use this tense when we don’t know who did the action, when it is obvious who did the action, or it is not important who did the action.

For example:

She was arrested (by the police).

In this case, it is enough information to say:  She was arrested.  Why?  Because who arrests people?  The police.  So it is not necessary to say who did the action.

And another example:

She was robbed (by a theif).

When you are robbed, you don’t usually know who robbed you!  So we use the passive voice.

To see how to form the passive voice in the different tenses, check out this useful video:

After you have watched that video, here are some exercises for you to practice: