The passive is often used when you do not know who the person was that

carried out a certain action. In the active voice, the subject (or the person who
carries out a certain action) is obvious: “A strange man stole her purse.” In the
passive sentence, the direct object (her purse) becomes the new subject, and the
verb (stole) is changed to the past participle (stolen). You can say in the passive
voice, “Her purse was stolen by a strange man.” If you don’t know who the thief
is, you can say, “Her purse was stolen.”

Exercise 1.11 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses shown. Notice that
these sentences contain the passive voice structure (to be plus past participles).

1. Present
Past Was the window repaired?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

2. Present
Past The dog was struck by a car.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

3. Present
Past
Present Perfect The package has been shipped by rail.
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

4. Present
Past
Present Perfect Everything has been arranged.
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

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 5. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect The fort had been attacked at dawn.
Future
Future Perfect

6. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect Her driver’s license had been taken away.
Future
Future Perfect

7. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future A new song will be written for the rock concert.
Future Perfect

8. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Will the injured man be rescued in time?
Future Perfect

9. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect Won’t the damage have been noticed by then?

10. Present The king is whisked away to safety.

Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect

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 Future
Future Perfect

11. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Our candidate will be elected before noon.
Future Perfect

12. Present A protester is being removed from the meeting.

Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

13. Present
Past
Present Perfect He has been sentenced to a week in jail.
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

14. Present
Past Was the dessert prepared in time?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect

15. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect She had been warned against saying that.
Future
Future Perfect

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Exercise 1.12 Some part of the passive structure is missing in each sentence.
Fill in the blank with the appropriate form of the verb given in parentheses ( ).
For example: “He has been given a prize.” (to have)

1. The cadets are marched toward the barracks. (to be)

2. Our country had never been before. (to attack)

3. Yesterday he sent to New York on business. (to be)

4. Had the house destroyed, too? (to be)

5. I can’t bothered with such nonsense. (to be)

6. The baby was by his young mother. (to change)

7. Not a word had been in the dying man’s room.

(to speak)

8. His story believed, and he was sent to prison. (not

to be)

9. The old barn was down by the storm. (to blow)

10. What has done to improve the situation? (to be)

11. The old woman been seen for days. (to have not)

12. War was in December of 1941. (to declare)

13. Your case will taken under consideration tomorrow.

(to be)

14. The team was coached by a newcomer. (to be)

15. The pup being trained to stay in the kitchen. (to be)

16. Last night the soldiers marched out into the woods.
(to be)

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