The Passive

Activity - 1

Verbs in some of the following sentences are active, in some passive. Identify them and then write A for active sentences and (P) for the passive ones in the box given against each sentence.

  • (i) Prakash killed a snake with a stick. -> A
  • (ii) Mother has made a sweet cake for me. -> A
  • (iii) Mr Patnaik has been selected President of the Congress Party. -> P
  • (iv) R.N. Tagore wrote the Gitanjali. -> A
  • (v) Why was he beaten ? -> P
  • (vi) He must have finished his work by now. -> A

Activity - 2

Put the verb in brackets into the correct passive form:

  • (i) A car will (buy) next year if the savings increase.

-> A car will be bought next year if the savings increase.

  • (ii) Thousands of people (kill) in the earthquake in Japan last year.

-> Thousands of people were killed in the earthquake in Japan last year.

  • (iii) What cannot (cure) must (endure).

-> What cannot be cured must be endured.

  • (iv) He should (punish) for telling a lie.

-> He should be punished for telling a lie.

  • (v) English (speak) all over the world.

-> English is spoken all over the world.

  • (vi) The road (repair) when I saw it last year.

-> The road was being repaired when I saw it last year.

  • (vii) The accident might (cause) due to the carelessness of the driver.

-> The accident might have been caused due to the carelessness of the driver.

  • (viii) People (deny) justice these days.

-> People are denied / are being denied justice these days.

  • (ix) His grandfather (say) to have been a landlord.

-> His grandfather is said to have been a landlord.

  • (x) I like (leave) alone.

-> I like to be left alone.

Activity - 3

Hereunder is a letter written by a father to his son. Rewrite it changing the verbs in brackets into their appropriate forms:

I understand that the Annual Day function of your school is going to be held on your school premises this evening. I am told that the Governor of our state has been invited to inaugurate the function and to give away the prizes to the winners. I know that you secured the first position in your class in the last annual examination and also came first in the debate and essay competitions which were held at your school. You would certainly be awarded some prizes and medals for your merit and proficiency. I would have been very glad to see you receive prizes from the Governor if I had been invited to the function and were / had been present there at such happy moments.

Activity - 4

The following is a part of a newspaper report. Use the verbs supplied in brackets in their appropriate forms:

Fifty houses in the Khandagiri Slum area in Bhubaneswar were burnt to ashes last Sunday. Ten children and six women were burnt alive. All the belongings of the people were completely destroyed in the fire. About two hundred people have been rendered / were rendered homeless and eighty people have been hospitalised / were hospitalised for treatment of their injury caused in the fire. How the houses first caught fire is still shrouded in mystery. Government's assistance for rehabilitation of these affected people is badly needed at this hour.

Activity - 5

Write a passive sentence for each of the following situations, using the active verb supplied in brackets.

  • (ii) People say he resigned his job, but he didn't. (sack)

-> He was sacked.

  • (iii) He did not leave the examination hall. (ask to leave)

-> He was asked to leave.

  • (iv) The shop did not open. (close down)

-> It was closed down.

  • (v) He didn't do his homework yesterday. (punish)

-> He was punished.

  • (vi) He could not come out of water. (drown)

-> He was drowned.

  • (vii) My request was not entertained. (turn down)

-> My request was turned down.

  • (viii) The doctor didn't come in time. People waited for him. (keep)

-> People were kept waiting for him.

Activity - 6

Study the following situations and write a passive sentence for each of them.

  • 2. You would like to talk about the prize your friend Mohan won. You would also like to mention your friend's name.

-> The prize was won by Mohan.

  • 3. You have seen one of your friends breaking a chair. You have to report the matter to your class teacher without disclosing your friend's name.

-> A chair has been broken.

  • 4. Your teacher asks you to write an essay in a week's time. You are not sure of yourself. You have to tell your teacher that you will finish it in time. But you don't want to take a risk.

-> The essay will be finished in time.

  • 5. You want to talk about the delicious cakes your villagers make during the Raja festival every year. You are at this moment not interested in the villagers.

-> Delicious cakes are made during the Raja festival every year.

  • 6. You don't know who created the earth long ago. You want to talk about its creation.

-> The earth was created long ago.

  • 7. You want to tell your best friend that your other friends will celebrate his birthday this year. You don't want to say who they are.

-> Your birthday will be celebrated this year.

Activity - 7

Use the verbs given in brackets in the following sentences in the correct form:

  • (i) Originally, this novel (write) in Hindi, but it (translate) into Odia in 1990.

-> Originally, this novel was written in Hindi, but it was translated into Odia in 1990.

  • (ii) Cheese (make) from milk.

-> Cheese is made from milk.

  • (iii) An accident occurred here this afternoon. Somebody called an ambulance, but as nobody (injure), the ambulance (not require).

-> An accident occurred here this afternoon. Somebody called an ambulance, but as nobody was injured, the ambulance was not required.

  • (iv) The office is in a mess. The telephone (never answer), no proper records (keep) and no work (do).

-> The office is in a mess. The telephone is never answered, no proper records are kept and no work is done.

  • (v) A tree is lying across the road. It (blow down) in the storm.

-> A tree is lying across the road. It was blown down in the storm.

  • (vi) The letter (post) a week ago and it reached me yesterday.

-> The letter was posted a week ago and it reached me yesterday. (Note: Item vii is missing from the book).

  • (viii) The child playing on the road (run over) by a truck.

-> The child playing on the road was run over by a truck.

Activity - 8

The instructions are given for making tea using tea bags. Make them carefully and write the process in the passive form as per the instructions given:

How tea is made, using tea-bags :

  • 1. One tea-bag is used for making each cup of tea.
  • 2. The required number of tea bags are placed in the kettle.
  • 3. Boiling water is added as per the requirement.
  • 4. The water is stirred, but it is made sure that the tea bags do not open.
  • 5. The tea is allowed to stand for 5 minutes.
  • 6. The tea is poured into cups.
  • 7. Sugar and milk are added to taste.