EXERCISE1

The Passive

A Choose the correct answer.

1. A new law on health care (passed / was passed)
   1. by the government last month.
2. School uniforms (aren’t worn / don’t wear) at our school.
3. We (will meet / will be met) you at the station at 10 o’clock.
4. We believe that endangered animals (should be protected / should protect).

5. Notices (have sent / have been sent) to all the members of the club.

6. The offices (were cleaning / were being cleaned) all afternoon.

7. Dave (hadn’t finished / hadn’t been finished) the exam when the bell rang.

8. Dogs (mustn’t take / mustn’t be taken) into shops.

B Rewrite the sentences in the passive. Omit the agent when possible.

1. Both teams must agree on the date for the match.
   1. ...........................................................................................................................................
2. The postman may have delivered the letters to the wrong address.
   1. ...........................................................................................................................................
3. We didn’t see the famous painting because somebody had stolen it.
   1. ...........................................................................................................................................
4. The doctor is examining the patient now.
   1. ...........................................................................................................................................
5. The prisoner escaped while the police were questioning him.
   1. ...........................................................................................................................................

C Correct the error in each of the sentences.

1. Why is that car being taking away by the police? .............................................................................
2. A lot of food ate at the party. .............................................................................
3. You shouldn’t have been read my diary. .............................................................................
4. This book mustn’t take out of the library. .............................................................................

5. John hasn’t seen by anyone all week. .............................................................................

6. English spoken in many countries of the world. .............................................................................

7. His article will publish in tomorrow’s newspaper. .............................................................................

8. I couldn’t enter the room because the floor was washing.

.............................................................................

D Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the active or passive.

Many people use the Internet, or the Net as it 1.............................. (call). Some people consider it as an encyclopedia, which 2.............................. (can / use) to get information. However, when it 3.............................. (invent), the Internet had a different purpose. Until then, people 4.............................. (communicate) by radio and telephone, but these means of communication 5.............................. (not consider) safe ways of sending private messages. A new way of sending private or secret information 6.............................. (need). Researchers in the American Defence Department studied the problem, and in 1969 they 7............................... (establish) the Internet. Since then, the Net has grown and changed. In recent years, it 8.............................. (use) for e-mail, shopping and chatting to people all over the world. Millions of people 9............................... (connect) to it. Perhaps, in the future, phones 10.............................. (replace) entirely by e-mail, but for the time being, there are still many people who prefer to chat on the phone.