Subject: English

Topic: Grammar #3
Focus : Impersonal Passive

A. Steps to change sentences into impersonal passive starting with it.

1. Start the sentence with it

2. We use (is) when the verb is in the present or (was) when the verb is in the
past tense
3. We use the verb in the past participle form after it

Example 1: They say that smokers don’t live as long as nonsmokers.

Impersonal passive: It is said that smokers do not live as long as smokers.

Example 2: Many people believed that the earth was square.

Impersonal passive: It was believed that the earth was square.

B. Steps to change sentences into impersonal passive starting with the

object.

1. We start the sentence with the object.

2. We put ( is or are) when the verb is in the present; (was, were) when the
verb is in the past; (been) if we have (has, have or had)
3. We put to+ infinitive

Example 1: Many people believe that tigers live in the jungle.

Impersonal passive: Tigers are believed to live in the jungle.

Example 2: They thought that the car was very expensive.

The car was thought to be very expensive.

Example 3: They have proved that smoking kills people.

Impersonal passive: Smoking has been proved to kill people.
Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences using impersonal passive.

1. They say that fish is good for the brain.

It is said that fish is good for the brain.

Fish is said to be good for the brain.

2. People think that we only use a small percentage of our brain.

It is thought that we only use a small percentage of our brain.

We are thought to use a small percentage of our brain.

3. People believed that solving puzzles keep the brain busy.

It was believed that solving puzzles keep the brain busy.

Solving puzzles was believed to keep the brain busy.

4. They claim that we remember things we hear in our sleep.

It_________________________________________________________

We ________________________________________________________

5. Experts have proved that exercise is good for concentration.

It _____________________________________________________________

Exercise ______________________________________________________

6. People say that children are afraid of ghosts.

It__________________________________________________________

Children____________________________________________________
7. They announced that Omar passed his driving test.

It ____________________________________________________________

Omar ________________________________________________________

8. People don’t expect that the new party will win the election.

It____________________________________________________________

The new _____________________________________________________

9. They did not think she paid too much.

It ________________________________________________________

She ______________________________________________________

10 . Doctors have proved that smoking causes cancer.

It ________________________________________________________

Smoking__________________________________________________