EXERCISE 1

Look at the subject and verb to determine if it is an active or passive sentence. Then
add the appropriate verb. Be careful with intransitive verbs (verbs that do not have an
object – they cannot be used in the passive voice.)

1. That car looks like it has never _______________ (wash).

2. If I were you, I would _______________ (contact) a lawyer.

3. Have you _______________ (inform) yet about the new policy?

4. Unfortunately, the budget has _______________ (not/approve) yet.

5. A smile _______________ (appear) on her face.

6. We _______________ (wait) for 30 minutes. Where is the bus?

7. The performance _______________ (happen) right now. Let’s go.

8. I’ll be happy if our plan _______________ (succeed).

9. The server _______________ (order) to clean up the mess he had made.

10. The judge ordered that smoking _______________ (prohibit) in restaurants.

 EXERCISE 2

Convert each sentence from active to passive or from passive to active, leave as is, or
make another change to make each sentence convey a more precise meaning. Justify
your decision.

1. The window was broken.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. Marlon Byrd of the Chicago Cubs was knocked down by Alfredo Aceves with a
hard, inside fastball
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. Biological diversity is considered a crucial survival issue by Professor Edward O.

Wilson of Harvard University.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. The cashier was commended by the branch manager for her tactful handling of an
irate customer.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. The police officer was angered by Jason when Jason refused to present his
identification card.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

6. The 2010 - 2011 budget was not approved by the appropriations committee.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. The playground area was left in a shambles after the birthday party.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

8. Five hundred pounds of illegal drugs were confiscated by the Coast Guard in
January of 2011.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

9. A bill to force state employees to contribute to the retirement plan was signed by
Governor Rick Scott yesterday.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

10. Victor was given the science award by the selection committee for his outstanding
project on salt-water intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
 EXERCISE 3

READING SECTION FOR ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

Find the active and passive voices in the passage below! Convert each sentence from
active to passive or from passive to active! (min. 10 sentences for each active and
passive voices)

Passage 1
One of the organic chemical reactions known to ancient man was the preparation
of soaps through a reaction called saponification (Figure 1). Natural soaps are sodium
or potassium salts of fatty acids, originally made by boiling lard or other animal fat
together with lye or potash (potassium hydroxide). Hydrolysis of the fats and oils occurs,
yielding glycerol and crude soap.

Figure 1. An Example of the Saponification Reaction

In the industrial manufacture of soap, tallow (fat from animals such as cattle and
sheep) or vegetable fat is heated with sodium hydroxide. Once the saponification
reaction is complete, sodium chloride is added to precipitate the soap. The water layer
is drawn off the top of the mixture and the glycerol is recovered using
vacuum distillation.
The crude soap obtained from the saponification reaction contains sodium
chloride, sodium hydroxide, and glycerol. These impurities are removed by boiling the
crude soap curds in water and re-precipitating the soap with salt. After the purification
process is repeated several times, the soap may be used as an inexpensive industrial
cleanser. Sand or pumice may be added to produce a scouring soap. Other treatments
may result in laundry, cosmetic, liquid, and other soaps.
The saponification reaction may be tailored to produce different types of soaps:
Hard Soap: Hard soap is made using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or lye. Hard soaps are
especially good cleansers in hard water that contains magnesium, chloride, and
calcium ions.
Soft Soap: Soft soap is made using potassium hydroxide (KOH) rather than sodium
hydroxide. In addition to being softer, this type of soap has a lower melting point. Most
early soaps were made using potassium hydroxide obtained from wood ash and animal
fats. Modern soft soaps are made using vegetable oils and other polyunsaturated
triglycerides. These soaps are characterized by weaker intermolecular forces between
the salts. They readily dissolve, yet also tend not to last as long.
Lithium Soap: Moving down the periodic table in the alkali metals group, it should be
obvious soap may be made using lithium hydroxide (LiOH) as easily as NaOH or KOH.
Lithium soap is used as a lubricating grease. Sometimes complex soaps are made
using lithium soap and also calcium soap.

Passage 2
Diamonds were formed over 3 billion years ago deep within the Earth’s crust
under conditions of intense heat and pressure that cause carbon atoms to crystallise
forming diamonds. Diamonds are found at a depth of approx. 150-200km below the
surface of the Earth. Here, temperatures average 900 to 1,300 degrees Celsius and at a
pressure of 45 to 60 kilobars (which is around 50,000 times that of atmospheric
pressure at the Earth’s surface). Under these conditions, molten lamproite and
kimberlite (commonly known as magma) are also formed within the Earth’s upper
mantle and expand at a rapid rate. This expansion causes the magma to erupt, forcing it
to the Earth’s surface and taking along with it diamond bearing rocks. Moving at an
incredible speed, the magma takes the path with least resistance, forming a ‘pipe’ to the
surface.
As it cools the magma hardens to form Kimberlite and settles in vertical
structures known as kimberlite pipes. These kimberlite pipes are the most significant
source of diamonds, yet it is estimated that only 1 in every 200 kimberlite pipes contain
gem-quality diamonds. The name ‘Kimberlite’ was derived from the South African town
of Kimberley where the first diamonds were found in this type of rock.

Passage 3
Yogurt, yoghurt or yoghourt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation milk.
The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. The fermentation
of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give
yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Cow's milk is commonly available
worldwide and, as such, is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk
from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used to produce
yogurt where available locally. The milk used may be homogenized or not,
even pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk produces substantially different results.
 Yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and
bifidobacteria are sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Some countries
require yogurt to contain a certain amount of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria, in
China, for example, the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1
million CFU per milliliter.To produce yogurt, milk is first heated, usually to about 85 °C
(185 °F), to denature the milk proteins so that they do not form curds. After heating, the
milk is allowed to cool to about 45 °C (113 °F).[3] The bacterial culture is mixed in, and
that temperature of 45 °C is maintained for 4 to 12 hours to allow fermentation to occur.
The bacteria convert the lactose (milk sugar) to lactic acid, which thickens the milk and
gives it the tangy taste characteristic of yogurt. The yogurt is then cooled and can be
flavoured with fruit, sugar, other sweeteners or flavourings. Stabilizers, such as gelatin,
may also be added.

Passage 4
Acid rain is caused by burning coal and oil. When either fuel is burned, it
releases poisonous gases which are carried up into the atmosphere and sometimes
transported long distances.
Over 3000 research projects have been carried out to look into acid rain, and a
decision to tackle the problem has been taken in most of the western European
countries. Measures have been taken in Scandinavia and in Central Europe to stop the
pollution before it is dumped on the environment: and a diplomatic campaign has been
launched to countries that the problem has to be considered as a major ecological
threat.
“Five years ago this issue was not being treated seriously,” says one of the
leading environmental group, “but now that damage has been reported in large areas of
forest and Lakeland our politicians are being forced to take action. This problem must
be solved quickly: if governments do nothing, they will be faced in two or three years
time with the accusation that they have allowed our forests to die.” A major international
initiative to combat acid rain is expected in the near future.