GRAMMAR PRACTICE (PASSIVE, PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL CONSTRUCTIONS, CAUSATIVE)

I Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate passive verb form

1.Your food _____________(still / prepare).

2.Luckily, by the time we got there the painting ______________(not sell).
3.We had to go on holiday because our house _______________(decorate).
4.I’m afraid that next week’s meeting ______________(cancel).
5.If we don’t hurry, all the tickets ______________(sell) by the time we get there.
6.All main courses _____________(serve) with vegetables or salad. At least that’s what is written on the
menu.
7.As our new furniture ____________(deliver) on Monday morning, I’ll have to stay at home to check
that it ______________(not damage) during transit.
8.It _____________(announce) that the proposed new office block ______________(now / not build)
because of the current economic situation.
9.A major new deposit of oil _____________(discover) in the North Sea. It _____________(think) to be
nearly twice the size of the largest existing field.
10.A large sum ____________(raise) for the Fund by a recent charity concert but the target of £250,000
______________(still / not reach).
11.No decision _______________(make) about any future appointment until suitable candidates
______________(interview).

II Rewrite each sentence below in a more formal style so that it contains a passive form of the most
suitable verb from the list below

ABANDON DISCOVER SERVE MISLAY INTRODUCE RAISE QUESTION PROSECUTE BAN

1.Sorry, but we’ve lost your letter.

2.The police are grilling Harry down at the station.

3.They’ve found the remains of an old Roman villa nearby.

4.You’ll get a rise in salary after six months.

5.They stopped playing the match after half an hour.

6.They stopped traffic from using the center.

7.They took Chris to court for dangerous driving.

8.You usually eat this kind of fish with a white sauce.

9.I don’t know your name.

III Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence, using the word
given in brackets

1.They think the treasure dates from the thirteenth century. (DATE)
The treasure ___________________________________________________from the thirteenth century.

2.Your hair needs cutting. (GET)

You ___________________________________________________________ cut.

3.Jill’s parents are making her study hard. (MADE)

Jill _____________________________________________________________her parents.

4.Apparently the ship didn’t sustain any damage. (APPEARS)

The ship ________________________________________________________any damage.

5.They think that the two injured men were repairing overhead cables. (HAVE)
The two injured men ______________________________________________ overhead cables.

6.There is a rumor that the escaped prisoner is living in Spain. (RUMORED)

The escaped prisoner ______________________________________________ in Spain.

7.We have agreed to meet again in a fortnight. (WILL)

It _______________________________________________________________ again in a fortnight.

8.We decided to try again later. (WOULD)

It ________________________________________________________________again later.

9.There is a confirmation of Mr Jackson’s intended resignation. (THAT)

It ________________________________________________________________ to resign.

10.Most of the committee thought it was not a viable solution. (NOT)

It ________________________________________________________________ by most of the
committee.