the passive

UNIT
the passive
Notes
1 To change a sentence from active to passive, we put the verb be in the same tense as the active verb and
add the past participle. We form negative passive statements by adding not.
■ Check what you know They sell bread in the supermarket. Bread is sold in the supermarket. Bread isn’t sold at the chemist’s.
2 We use an active verb to say what the subject does. We use a passive verb to say what happens to the subject.
Choose the correct sentence. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Look at the example.

1 2 3
object

I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe

a  Summer temperatures are said
a  a He has bitten. They fixed our motorbike last week.
that your homework stole! to be getting higher every year. b He has been bitten. subject
I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe
b  Summer temperatures say to be
b 
that your homework was stolen! getting higher every year. Our motorbike was fixed last week.

4 5
a The man is chasing.
b The man is being chased.
a Is this trophy made of silver?
b Is this trophy made by silver?
6 This song will be sung by Adele. Their journey was made difficult by the icy roads.
a The plants don’t water very often.
The plants aren’t watered very often.
b 
3 
To form questions in the passive, we change the word order of the subject and the auxiliary verb.
A photo is taken every year. ➞ Is a photo taken every year?
The photo has been taken. ➞ Has the photo been taken?
4 We often use the passive when the person who does the action is obvious, not known or not important.
The thief has been arrested. (It is obvious that the police arrested the thief.)
My passport was taken from my bag. (I don’t know who took it.)
The work had been done quickly. (We are interested in how quickly the work was done, not who did it.)
5 If we want to say who or what causes the action, we use by + person / thing (the agent).
6 In the passive, the verbs believe, consider, expect, know, say, suppose and think are followed by the infinitive.
Fred is expected to win the race. In ancient Greece, Zeus was believed to cause lightning.
7 For a list of irregular verbs, see page 189.

SEE GRAMMAR APPENDIX, PAGE 174

■ Check your grammar rules

Read some facts about drones. Look at the verbs in bold and write P (Passive) or A (Active) next to each sentence.

❏
P 1 The original drones were shaped like planes and were programmed
to fly until they ran out of fuel.
Active Passive
Present Simple He washes the car. ➞ The car is washed. ❏
P 2 Drones were first used by armies.

Present Continuous He is washing the car. ➞ The car is being washed.

❏
A 3 These days, people in many different jobs, like farmers, photographers

Past Simple He washed the car. ➞ The car was washed. and even lifeguards, use drones.

Past Continuous He was washing the car. ➞ The car was being washed. ❏
P 4 In the past, pictures from high up had to be taken from helicopters or planes.

Present Perfect Simple The car has been washed.

He has washed the car. ➞
❏
A 5 Today, ordinary people take pictures using smaller, cheaper drones.
Past Perfect Simple He had washed the car. ➞ The car had been washed.

Future Simple The car will be washed.

He will wash the car. ➞
be going to He is going to wash the car. ➞
❏
A 6 Many people enjoy flying drones as a hobby.
The car is going to be washed.
❏
P 7 Now drones are controlled with an app on your tablet or phone.

Modals He should wash the car. ➞ The car should be washed. ❏

P 8 In the future, all sorts of things may be delivered by drones – even pizza!

Semi-modals He has to wash the car. ➞ The car has to be washed.

Modal Perfect He must have washed the car. ➞ The car must have been washed.
continued ➜

72 73
 the passive

GRAMMAR PRACTICE 5 Complete the text. Use the words below.

been | by | going | was | will | being | be
1 Circle the correct answer.
1 A beach party organized / is organized every summer. Special Swimming Pools
2 Luckily, nobody hurt / was hurt in the accident.
One of the world’s most amazing swimming pools is on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel
3 The director expects / is expected his new film to be a success. in Singapore. The pool 1 was opened in 2010 and has 2 been
4 Our school has invited / has been invited to enter a competition. designed so that the edges of the pool cannot 3 be seen. People who
When we arrived in the city centre, a parade was taking / was being taken place.
5  swim right up to the edge have wonderful views of the city 200 metres below. The pool
6 Dinner is going to serve / is going to be served at eight o’clock. can only be used 4 by hotel guests, so it never gets too crowded.
7 This door should have locked / should have been locked. Another amazing swimming pool is 5 being built in the city of London,
The tourists are being shown / are showing around the palace at the moment.
8  35 metres above the ground between two tall buildings. The pool is made of a
transparent material, so swimmers 6 will be able to see down
2 Read the sentences. Which sentences need by + agent? Write 3 or 7. to the ground. It is 7 going to be opened quite soon so that swimmers
7 1 The school will be decorated by painters next summer.
can have an amazing – and possibly frightening – experience!
3 2 The new plants in my garden had been eaten by my neighbour’s rabbit!
3 3 The Starry Night was painted by Van Gogh in 1889. 6 
Questions Change the questions from active to passive. Then give a logical answer. Use passive, where possible.
7 4 A lot of money was stolen from the bank by robbers. Accept all logical answers.
1 How do people usually celebrate their name days?
3 5 Our house is cleaned once a week by a woman called Josie. How are name days usually celebrated ?
Answer: .
3 Read the text. Circle the correct answer. The
London 2

What do people usually wear at weddings?
What is usually worn at weddings ?

2
1
The London Eye was built / build as part of the celebrations for the millennium
year, 2000. It was / has opened on 31 December 1999. One thousand seven hundred
st Eye
3
Answer:
Who should you call if there is a forest fire?
.

tonnes of steel were 3 use / used to build it. At first, the plan was that the wheel would Who should be called if there is a forest fire ?
be 4 take / taken down after five years, but now it seems it will 5 stay / stayed in Answer: .
London for many years to come.
4 What are they planning at your school at the moment?
Many London landmarks, such as Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben, What is being planned at your school at the moment ?
can 6 be / being seen from the Eye. It is said 7 to be / being the most popular tourist Answer: .
attraction in Britain, and it is 8 visiting / visited by more than three and a half million
5 Where did they hold the last Olympics?
visitors a year.
Where were the last Olympics held ?
Answer: .
6 What could they do to improve your town?
What could be done to improve your town ?
Answer: .
4 Some changes are needed at the park. Complete the sentences. Use the modal and the correct form of the verbs given.
1 There is litter all over. can / put
7 Complete the sentences. Use the correct passive form of the verbs given.
1 know / kick This animal has strong legs and is known to kick its enemies.
All the litter can be put in bins.
2 say / reach When it is in a hurry, it is said to reach speeds of 70 kph.
2 People have written graffiti everywhere. have to / paint
3 expect / stay This animal is not in danger of extinction, and the population
The walls have to be painted . is expected to stay the same as it is now.
3 The snacks are very expensive. shouldn’t / sell 4 suppose / taste The meat of this animal is supposed to taste like the meat of a deer.
Expensive snacks shouldn’t be sold . 5 believe / have This animal was believed to have two heads by early explorers!
6 consider / be This animal is considered to be the national animal of Australia.
SNACKS �5 each 4 The gate has been broken for a long time. ought to have / repair
The gate ought to have been repaired by now. What kind of animal is being described?
5 There are not enough trees for shade. could have / plant It’s a kangaroo . lion
polar bear kangAroo
sea lion horse
More trees could have been planted for shade.

74 75
 Piz za
the passive

8 Complete the sentences about pizza. Use the correct 10

Complete the text. Use the correct passive form of the verbs given.

Trivia
form of the verbs given, active or passive.

All over the world more than five billion pizzas

1 
are sold (sell) each year.

It is estimated that over three billion pizzas

2  The Namib Desert in Africa 1 is covered (cover) with
will be eaten (eat) next year in the USA alone.
mysterious circles which 2 are known (know) as fairy circles.
Kids aged 3-11
3  prefer (prefer) pizza to all other foods.
A fairy circle is a small area of dry, red soil with grass around the edge. According to
Though pizza only became a popular food in the USA after World War II,
4 
mythology, fairy circles 3 were created (create) by ancient gods as they
it was brought (bring) to America by Italian immigrants 50 years earlier.
walked on Earth.
Of all the toppings available, pepperoni (a kind of salami)
5  is chosen (choose) more
often by Americans than any other. Fairy circles usually last between 30 and 60 years before they are completely covered by grass and

Europeans have been eating pizza since the late 18th century but it
6  existed (exist) disappear. New ones may appear in nearby locations. Nobody knows how they form but over the years,
long before that. different explanations 4 have been suggested (suggest) by scientists. For example, it
Pizza
7  was being prepared (prepare) by people of Pompeii when the volcano erupted and buried 5 is thought (think) that some kind of insect might be responsible for making the fairy circles.
the city in 79 AD.
Another scientist studied some photos which 6 were taken (take) from the air and he offered
Pizza Margherita
8  was given (give) its name by a chef who worked for an Italian queen.
another explanation – that the plants grew in this pattern because they couldn’t find enough water. A different
She ate her pizza with tomatoes and cheese.
theory is that the circles 7 may be caused (may / cause) by gases under the earth.
8 Will the mystery be solved (the mystery / solve) some day or will the fairy circles remain a puzzle?
9 Circle the correct answer.
1 We can’t keep this secret from Tom any more. 6 I can’t find my purse. I hope it !
He must . a isn’t stolen
a be told b isn’t being stolen
b have told c hasn’t been stolen
11
Complete the text. Use the correct passive form of the verbs below.

c have been told cover | hold | name | can take | call | visit | allow | destroy | think | make
7 A new bridge across the river this year.
The Internet
2  a
when my parents were growing up. is built
a
b
isn’t invented
hasn’t been invented
c hadn’t been invented
b is being built
c would be built
Are esports
8  included in the Olympic Games
Rhodes An introduction for visitors

3 How long can before it goes off? in future?  It’s hardly surprising that Rhodes 1 is visited by millions of tourists every year. Most of
a be kept milk a going to be 2 are covered
the island’s hills and low mountains with forests, making it one of the most
b milk be kept b will be
c are being beautiful Greek islands. Many Hollywood movies 3 have been made there over the years.
c be milk kept
4 These tomatoes in my aunt’s garden. I couldn’t wear my favourite jeans yesterday
9 
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was in Rhodes. It 4
  was called
a will be grown because they .
the Colossus of Rhodes and it 5 is thought to have stood in the harbour.
b be grown a are being washed
c were grown b will be washed It 6 was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC.
5 The bill ought to yesterday. c were being washed
A medieval festival 7
  is held in the old town every year. In 1988, the old town
a have been paid The band’s new single
10  released next week.
b be paid a will be of Rhodes 8 was named one of the most important historic areas in the world.
c had paid b being
 Lindos is a very special village on the island. No cars 9 are allowed in the
c going to be
village, but tourists 10 can be taken up to the Acropolis of Lindos by donkey!

76 77
 !
the passive

SPEAK UP 9 Some trees lightning during the storm. 11 The number 13 unlucky.
a were struck a is believed being
1 2 3
b been struck b it is believed it is
The Passive c struck by c believes to be
d were struck by d is believed to be
10 The wedding invitations until next week. “ The house we rented was dirty.“
12 
The school is holding a prom
a aren’t sending “Really? It cleaned before you arrived.”
this evening. Say what will
be done before or during the b not going to send a should have
put up signs blow up balloons to decorate drive guests to the c aren’t going to be sent b ought have been
prom. the school hall party by limo
d are going not to be sent c should have been
d ought to have
4 5 6

2 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.
The prom Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.
held in th will be
e
hall. I can’ school 1 They will deliver the new washing machine next Saturday. going
t wait.

The new washing machine is going to be delivered next Saturday.

give guests a drink when take photos outside serve food at 9 p.m.
2 Did Margot really write this poem? by
they arrive Was this poem really written by Margot?

3 By the time we got to the theatre, there were no tickets left. had
Possible answer for number 1
All the tickets had been sold by the time we got to the theatre.
Signs will be put up.

4 You don’t have to give a dog a bath every day. have
A dog does not / doesn’t have to be given a bath every day.

­B2 EXAM PRACTICE 5 Everyone says that London has some of the best museums in the world. said
London is said to have some of the best museums in the world.
1 Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.
6 People sometimes call Pythagoras the first mathematician. called
1 We couldn’t go swimming because the pool . The patient’s temperature must
5  every two hours. Pythagoras is sometimes called the first mathematician.
a still was being cleaned a take
b was still being cleaned b have taken
c still being was cleaned c been taken 3 Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.
d was being cleaned still d be taken

a
“ The exam starts at 10 o’clock tomorrow, doesn’t it?”
2 
“
the time been changed to 10.30?”
Isn’t
6 Dad
a
b
fixing
my bike for me.

is fixing
Many Bats!
Every year, the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, USA is visited 1 by
b Didn’t c is fixed
c Wasn’t d was fixed thousands of people. They come to see the amazing stalactites and stalagmites in the caves. But not all of the
d Hasn’t attractions are underground.
7 Sugar is known bad for your teeth.
“ When are we getting our certificates?”
3  a be Every night, from April to October, hundreds of thousands of bats 2 can be seen flying out of the
“They given out next Friday.” b to be
caves to look for food. About half an hour after the sun 3 has gone down, the bats leave their caves
a being c being
b are going be d that it is and the sound of their wings can 4 be heard as the sky fills with hungry bats. Young bats
c will be 5 are left in the cave while the adults go out to feed. At least 17 different kinds of bats are known
Free ice cream
8  given out in the square yesterday.
d have been
a is being 6 to live in the park.
4 “Why doesn’t my new mobile phone work?” b was being
In late October, the bats fly south to Mexico, where they spend the winter.
“The battery charged for at least six hours c has been
before you can use it.” d is to be Scientists have tried to find out exactly where they go, but most of the
a has to be caves have not 7 been found yet. In fact, very little
b has been 8 is known about what the bats do during the winter.
c will be
d must But every spring, the bats return to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

78 79