Name: ……………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………

 A verb is said to be in the active voice when the Forms of verb “Be”:
subject does the action. (present) = am, is , are
 A verb is said to be in the passive voice when the (past) = was, were
sentence shows what is done to the subject. (present participle) = being
(past participle) = been
The past participle of a verb is:
The passive is used: verb + ed (regular verbs):
when the agent (the person who does the action) is paint  painted
unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. 3 column in the list of irregular verbs:
rd

The president was shot. break  broken

The criminal was arrested. (by police)
when the action is more important than the agent as in A. Write the past participle of
the following verbs:
instructions, processes or headlines.
1. want  …………………………
Thirty people were injured in the explosion.
2. buy  …………………………
to make more polite or formal statements.
3. decide  …………………………
The car hasn’t been cleaned.
4. marry  …………………………
to put emphasis on the agent.
5. choose  …………………………
The new library will be opened by the president.
6. drop  …………………………
7. make  …………………………
We form the passive with the verb to be and the past 8. draw  …………………………
participle of the main verb: to be + past participle (PP)
The passive forms are:
Change the underlined active verbs
Present simple: am/is/are + PP
into the passive form:
Jim’s car is serviced twice a year.
Present continuous: am/is/are being + PP Adam hit the ball.
Dinner is being prepared now. The ball was hit by Adams.
Past simple: was/were + PP Someone is ringing the bell.
Jim’s car was serviced last week. The bell …………………………………….
Past continuous: was/were being + PP
Mom washes the carpet.
Dinner was being prepared at 7 last night.
The carpet ………………… by Mom.
Present perfect: has/have been + PP
Lunch has already been eaten. Children should drink milk.
Past perfect: had been + PP Milk ……………………… by children.
Trees had been cut. I have paid my checks.
Future simple: will be + PP or am/is/are going to be + PP Checks …………………………… by me.
Dinner will be prepared soon. Tim will write a story.
Dinner is going to be prepared at seven.
A story ………………………… by Tim.
Future perfect: will have been + PP
Tom needs to do this work.
Checks will have been paid by Tuesday.
Infinitives: (to) be + PP This work needs ……………………….
The dishes need to be cleaned now. Dina may invite some friends.
Modals: modal + be + PP Some friends ……………………………
The dishes should be cleaned. by Dina.
Changing from active into passive:
subjectverbobjectcomplimentTake this sentence as an example:Alanhas drawn Maryseveral
times.Make the object of the active verb the subject in the new sentence.
Mary ………

Note: If the verb is a pronoun, make sure to change it to a subject pronoun.

me  Ihim  heher  shethem  theyus  weAlan has drawn her several

Change the 
times. active
She verb
……… into the passive form. Use (be + past participle of the main verb):
Mary has been drawn …………
REMEMBER:
Make sure the new passive verb agrees DO the
in number with NOT CHANGE
new subject.TENSE.
Alanhas drawnMary and Tina.Mary and Tinahave been drawn.singularsingular verbpluralpluralplural
verb

ActivePassiveThey don’t call the office.The office isn’t called.They don’t ring the officers.The
Note: Never use (do, does, or did) with the passive voice. See the examples:
officers aren’t called.They didn’t call the officer.The officer wasn’t called.They didn’t call the
officers.The officers weren’t called.Did they call me?Was I called?Do they know me?Am I
known?Add the rest f the sentence.
Note: If there is a
Mary has been drawn several times. preposition with the verb,
do not The
Make the subject of the active sentence the agent of the passive sentence. forget it. is introduced
agent
with by. Sue looks after the children.
Mary has been drawn several times by Alan. 
The children are looked
after by Sue.

Note: Don’t write the agent if it is not specific (people, someone, somebody, etc...). It is
preferable not to mention the subject if it is a pronoun (I, you, we, he, she, it, they).

C. Change the following sentences from active into passive:

1. The lawyer will give you some advice. 

2. Sue asked the policeman for directions. 
3. The pirates had found the treasure. 
4. Peter is going to take the package later. 
5. Someone has already stopped the machine. 
6. The coach always encourages the trainees. 
7. Meg needs to wipe the floor right now. 
8. The employees might suggest new rules. 
D. Change the following negative sentences from active into passive:

1. We didn’t notice the new changes. 

2. The store won’t deliver the furniture. 
3. They haven’t collected the taxes yet. 
4. The students didn’t study the poem well. 
5. We don’t accept credit cards here. 
6. Tim wasn’t planting trees at seven. 
7. You shouldn’t water this plant daily. 
8. They are not interviewing the applicants. 

E. Change the following questions from active into passive:

1. Did the driver hit the boy yesterday? 

2. Will the police question all the suspects? 
3. Have you signed the house contract? 
4. Do people speak English in Spain? 
5. Who broke the vase in the sitting room? 
6. Are you roasting chestnuts now? 
7. Can you reach the top of this mountain? 
8. Was Jim playing the piano very loudly? 

Active and passive in sentences that take two objects; a direct and indirect object:
Mariesentme a funny email. subjectverbindirectEither
objectdirect object object or a direct
an indirect
Passive (1): I was sent a funny email. object may become the subject of a
Passive (2): A funny email was sent to me. passive sentence.

If the direct object becomes the subject, use “to”

before the indirect object.

F. Change the following sentences with two objects from active into passive:

1. The secretary gave Martin some letters. 

2. My friend has sent me an invitation. 
3. Mike is showing Laura some pictures. 
4. Kevin will buy Jane a new car next week. 
5. Joe always lends Tom some money. 
6. The company will pay him a lot of money. 
7. Will the college award Dan a scholarship? 
8. The court denies the criminal some rights. 
Note:
Use by when it is important to mention
the agent or the person who performed
the action.
The little boy was rescued by a stranger.
Use with for objects which perform
actions.
Backgammon is played with dice.
G. Fill in “by” or “with”.
1. The fox was hunted ………………… a gun.
2. Mat will be trained …………… a good teacher.
3. The book is written …………… a famous author.
4. He was hit on his head ……………… a stone.
5. Passports are checked ……………… the police.
6. The island is surrounded ……………… water.

H. Change the following mixed sentences from active into passive:

1. People eat a lot of fast food these days.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The company will advertise the new product on TV next month.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. The teacher shouted at Jill at school today.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. People make salads from different kinds of vegetables.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. They won’t have completed building the bridge by the end of the month.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Had Mira checked the mail before she went to school?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Hundreds of dissidents are seeking refuge in the US embassy.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. Millions of tourists visit Rome every year.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Do you usually feed your chickens corn?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. Wind and rain have eroded the statues into shapeless stones.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
11. When did they show the news of the earthquake on TV?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
12. Adam hadn’t expected Kate to come on time by the time he got home.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
13. Can you tell me the way to the park?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
14. You need to polish the shoes regularly to protect the leather.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
15. Sally was taking care of the children during the interview with the press.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
16. Dianne is choosing a new dress right now.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
A Chart for changing verbs from active to passive with all tenses.
Note that all the passive verbs are formed with BE + Past Participle (main verb)
Tense Active Passive
 The crime shocks me.
Present
 The crime shocks Jake.
Simple
 The crime shocks us.
Present  The crime is shocking me.
Continuous  The crime is shocking us.
 The crime shocked me.
Past Simple
 The crime shocked
Past  The crime was shocking me.
Continuous  The crime was shocking us.
Present  Jake has mailed the letter.
Perfect  Jake has mailed the letters.
 Jake had mailed the letter.
Past Perfect
 Jake had mailed the letters.
 Jake will mail the letter.
Future
 Jake is going to mail the letter.
Simple
 Jake is going to mail the letters.
Future  Jake will have mailed the letter.
Perfect  Jake will have mailed the letters
 Jack needs to mail the letter.
Infinitives
 Jack needs to mail the letters.
 Jake can mail the letter.
 Jake could mail the letters.
 Jake may mail the letter.
 Jake might mail the letters.
 Jake should mail the letter.
Modals
 Jake must mail the letters.
 Jake would mail the letter.
 Jake has to mail the letter.
 Jake has to mail the letters.
 Jake ought to mail the letter.
 I am shocked by the crime.
 Jake is shocked by the crime.
 We are shocked by the crime.
 I am being shocked by the crime.
 We are being shocked by the crime.
 I was shocked by the crime.
 We were shocked by the crime.
 I was being shocked by the murder.
 We are being shocked by the murder.
 The letter has been mailed by Jake.
 The letters have been mailed by Jake.
 The letter had been mailed by Jake.
 The letters had been mailed by Jake.
 The letter will be mailed by Jake.
 The letter is going to be mailed by Jake.
 The letters are going to be mailed by Jake
 The letter will have been mailed by Jake.
 The letters will have been mailed by Jake.
 The letter needs to be mailed.
 The letters need to be mailed.
 The letter can be mailed by Jake.
 The letters could be mailed by Jake.
 The letter may be mailed by Jake.
 The letters might be mailed by Jake.
 The letter should be mailed by Jake.
 The letters must be mailed by Jake.
 The letter would be mailed by Jake.
 The letter has to be mailed by Jake.
 The letters have to be mailed by Jake.
 The letter ought to be mailed by Jake.
Answer key:
Activity A:
1. wanted
2. bought
3. decided
4. married
5. chosen
6. dropped
7. made
8. drawn

Activity B:
1. The ball was hit by Adams.
2. is being rung
3. is washed
4. should be drunk
5. have been paid
6. will be written
7. to be done
8. may be invited

Activity C:
1. You will be given some advice by the lawyer.
2. The policeman was asked for directions.
3. The treasure had been found by the pirates.
4. The package is going to be taken later by Peter.
5. The machine has already been stopped.
6. The trainees are always encouraged by the coach.
7. The floor needs to be wiped right now.
8. New rules might be suggested by the employees.

Activity D:
1. The new changes weren’t noticed.
2. The furniture won’t be delivered.
3. The taxes haven’t been collected yet.
4. This poem wasn’t studied well by the students.
5. Credit cards are not accepted here.
6. Trees were not being planted at seven.
7. This plant shouldn’t be watered daily.
8. The applicants are not being interviewed.

Activity E:
1. Was the boy hit by the driver yesterday?
2. Will all the suspects be questioned by the police?
3. Has the house contract been signed?
4. Is English spoken in Spain?
5. Who was the vase in the sitting room broken by?
 6. Are chestnuts being roasted now?
7. Can the top of this mountain be reached?
8. Was the piano being played very loudly?

Activity F:
1. Martin was given some letters by the secretary. / Some letters were given to Martin by the secretary.
2. I was sent an invitation by my friend. / An invitation was sent to me by my friend.
3. Laura is being shown some pictures by Mike. / Some pictures are being shown to Laura by Mike.
4. Jane will be bought a new car by Kevin next week. / A new car will be bought to Jane by Kevin next week.
5. Tom is always lent some money by Joe. / Some money is always lent to Tom by Joe.
6. He will be paid a lot of money by the company. / A lot of money will be paid to him by the company.
7. Will Dan be awarded a scholarship be the college?/ Will a scholarship be awarded to Dan by the college?
8. The criminal is denied some rights by the court. / Some rights are denied to criminal by the court.

Activity G:
1. The fox was hunted with a gun.

2. Mat will be trained by a good teacher.

3. The book is written by a famous author.

4. He was hit on his head with a stone.

5. Passports are checked by the police.

6. The island is surrounded with water.

Activity H:
1. A lot of fast food is eaten these days.
2. The new product will be advertised on TV next month.
3. Jill was shouted at by the teacher today.
4. Salads are made from different kinds of vegetables.
5. Building the bridge won’t have been completed by the end of the month.
6. Was the mail checked by Mira before she went to school?
7. Refuge in the US embassy is being sought by hundreds of dissidents.
8. Rome is visited by millions of tourists every year.
9. Is your chicken usually fed corn?
10. The statues were eroded into shapeless stones with wind and rain.
11. When was the news of the earthquake shown on TV?
12. Kate hadn’t been expected to come on time by the time Adam got home.
13. Can I be told the way to the park?
14. The shoes need to be polished regularly to protect the leather.
15. The children were taken care of by Sally during the interview with the press.
16. A new dress is being chosen by Dianne right now.