1) The passive is formed with the correct
form of the verb to be and the past
The PASSIVE -1
(present and past simple)
1) Read the text and underline the verbs in passive.
The first mobile phone was made in 1977. In that
year, phones the approximate shape and weight of a
brick were sold to 2.000 customers in Chicago.
Now, those phones are displayed in museums and new
phones are slim, colourful and much lighter!
The technology has improved too. Every day phones
are used by ordinary people to browse the Web,
take pictures, take videos and play games.
2) Use the present simple passive of the verbs in the box.
speak / make / play / buy / export / teach / wear
1. Bread __________________________ from wheat.
2. Football _______________________ all over the world.
3. Uniforms ___________________by most police officers.
4. English _____________________________ in Russian
schools.
5. How many languages _________________________ in
Switzerland?
6. Millions of cars _____________________ from Japan
every year.
7. 57 books ________________________ every second by
shoppers.
in the USA.
3) Use the past simple passive of the verbs in the box.
paint / hit / build / invent / discover / write / steal
1. Penicillin ______________by Alexander Fleming in 1928.
2. ‘Hamlet’ ____________________by Shakespeare.
3. When ________television ______________?
4. John’s car _____________________ last night.
5. The ‘Scream’ ____________________by Edvard Munch.
6. The first pyramids of Egypt __________________ around
3000 B.C.
7. _______ the Earth _________ by an enormous asteroid
about 65 million years ago?
participle.
2) If we want to say who performed the
action, we use by .
4) Rewrite the sentences in the
passive
1. Ann does a lot of shopping online.
________________________________
________________________________
2. They don’t make cars in Wales.
________________________________
________________________________
3. They produced wine in Spain in
Roman times. ____________________
________________________________
4. An average teenager sends 78.000
text messages a year.
________________________________
________________________________
5. They invented sneakers in the USA.
________________________________
________________________________
6. People speak English all over the
world. __________________________
________________________________
5) Ask your partner the questions
and make notes of his/her answers.
When was the last time you….
- were photographed?
- were invited to a party?
- were given a present?
- were given a complement?
- were told off?
- were sent a text message?
- were hugged or kissed?
- were frightened to death?
- were shown on TV?
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Answer Key

Ex. 1)
was made / were sold / are displayed / are used /

Ex. 2)
1. is made 2. is played 3. are worn 4. is taught 5. are spoken 6. are exported
7. are bought

Ex. 3)
1. was discovered 2. was written 3. was………invented 4. was stolen
5. was painted 6. were built 7. Was………hit

Ex. 4)
1. A lot of shopping is done online by Ann.
2. Cars aren’t made in Wales.
3. Wine was produced in Spain in Roman times.
4. 78000 text messages a year are sent by an average teenager.
5. Sneakers were invented in the USA.
6. English is spoken all over the world.

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