English Grammar Exercises: Passive Voice

Posted on Jun 13, 2024 in Language

Passive Voice Exercises

Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice.

Exercise 1

  1. They are going to carry out some experiments later this year. / Some experiments are going to be carried out later this year.
  2. The witness didn’t recognize the attacker because he’d shaved his head and facial hair / The attacker wasn’t recognized by the witness because he’d shaved his head and facial hair.
  3. They should have implemented those changes much earlier. / Those changes should have been implemented much earlier.
  4. They never give her enough credit. Only because she’s a woman. / She is never given enough credit, only because she’s a woman.
  5. You need to keep those medications in the fridge. / Those medications need to be kept in the fridge.
  6. Nobody has ever lied to me before. / I have never been lied to before.
  7. We must do something about the delay. People are going to complain if we don’t. / Something must be done about the delay. Complaints are going to be made if nothing is done.
  8. They wouldn’t have accused him of theft if they hadn’t caught him red-handed. / He wouldn’t have been accused of theft if he hadn’t been caught red-handed.
  9. They might ask you some strange questions in the job interview tomorrow. / In the job interview tomorrow, you might be asked some strange questions.
  10. People say they are going to appoint a new CEO next month. / The appointment of a new CEO is said to be announced next month.
  11. She hates it when people call her Kat instead of Katherine. / Being called Kat instead of Katherine is hated by her.
  12. The instructor is sick. We will have to cancel tomorrow’s class. / Tomorrow’s class will have to be canceled because the instructor is sick.
  13. She’s crying. They must have told her something upsetting. / She’s crying. Something upsetting must have been told to her.
  14. She’s smashed her bumper so her car is in the garage / Her bumper has been smashed, so her car is in the garage.
  15. I am sorry but nobody informed us about today’s meeting. / We are sorry, but we were not informed about today’s meeting.
  16. Has anybody told her about her ex’s wedding yet? / Has she been told about her ex’s wedding yet?
  17. We will consider your proposal at the next board session. / Your proposal will be considered at the next board session.
  18. He loves it when people appreciate his work. / Having his work appreciated is loved by him.
  19. They rebuilt this street after WWII. / This street was rebuilt after WWII.
  20. They admitted 50 people to hospital earlier today after a bus crash. / Fifty people were admitted to the hospital earlier today after a bus crash.
  21. Do you know who wrote Jane Eyre? Yes, Charlotte Brontë, I think. / Is Jane Eyre known to have been written by Charlotte Brontë, I think?
  22. Many consider Javier Marías one of the greatest writers of our time. / Javier Marías is considered by many to be one of the greatest writers of our time.
  23. An ambulance took her to hospital with severe head injuries. / She was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe head injuries.
  24. They are widening the road in front of my building so you can’t park there. / The road in front of my building is being widened, so parking there is not possible.
  25. There was a power cut on the surgical ward while they were operating on my dad. / While my dad was being operated on, a power cut occurred on the surgical ward.

Exercise 2

  1. If you could just wait a moment longer, ma’am? The housekeeping are preparing your room as we speak. / If you could just wait a moment longer, ma’am? Your room is being prepared by housekeeping as we speak.
  2. I EXPECT YOU TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE ALL THE NECESSARY DATA BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK. / All necessary data is expected to be collected and analyzed by you by the end of next week.
  3. We have to lay off 100 workers next month. / One hundred workers have to be laid off next month.
  4. WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO STOP THE MURDERER. / Everything in our power must be done to stop the murderer.
  5. Somebody will give you a tour of the building in a moment. / You will be given a tour of the building in a moment.
  6. I think somebody is stalking me. / I think I am being stalked.
  7. Our HOSPITAL HIRED 50 QUALIFIED NURSES, ORDERLIES AND AMBULANCE DRIVERS LAST MONTH. / Fifty qualified nurses, orderlies, and ambulance drivers were hired by our hospital last month.
  8. I believe somebody has broken into our office. Some of the documents are missing. / It is believed that our office has been broken into. Some of the documents are missing.
  9. Nobody has lived in this house for 50 years. People say the place is haunted. / This house hasn’t been lived in for 50 years. It is said that the place is haunted.
  10. Somebody stabbed a 55-year-old man to death in his home. 24 hours later the investigators took his wife into custody. / A 55-year-old man was stabbed to death in his home. His wife was taken into custody by investigators 24 hours later.