THE PASSIVE VOICE.

Formation

The Passive voice is formed with the help of the auxiliary be in the appropriate tense-form and the Past Participle of the main verb.

Note 1: Future Continuous Passive (will be being + Past Participle) and Perfect Continuous Passive (have been being + Past Participle, etc.,) are unusual and are not normally used.

Note 2: Passive Infinitives are used with "to" or without "to" in the same way as Active Infinitives, e.g.

The pupils must be warned about the change in the timetable.

The letter doesn't have to be sent tomorrow.

USAGE

The use of the verb-tenses in the passive voice is determined by the same principles as in the active voice. Yet a passive construction is not merely a transformation of an active one. It shows that the subject of the sentence is not the doer of the action but the receiver of it. Due to the difference in meaning the passive voice is mainly used when it is necessary to shift the focus from the doer of the action to the action itself, which is generally typical of more formal speech.

Customers are requested to ask for a receipt. When were you told about the new rules? The floor is filthy. It must be scrubbed.

Practice

1. Open the brackets using the appropriate passive forms.

1. The Tower of London formerly (use) as a prison.
2. Progress (make) every day in the world of science.
3. He saw that the table (push) into the corner.
4. Empty bottles must (throw) away, the sooner the better.
5. Photographs (take) after the ceremony. 6.1 never (speak) to like that before.

7. Ann (show) how to bath a baby by her elder sister.
8. A big battle (fight) here 200 years ago.
9. These books must not (take) away from the reading-room.

10. Milk (use) for making butter and cheese.
11. In some countries women still (deny) the right to vote.
12. My uncle recently (make) a captain.
13. She fell into the water because she (push).

14. We (suppose) to take your remark seriously?
15. They say she (interview) for the job tomorrow.
16. The newspaper (deliver) before I got up this morning.

17. Milk can (buy) at the shop on the corner.
18. We (tell) there would be a private bathroom for every room.
19. Next week we (tell) who will be in charge of the department.

20. I phoned the police when I found out that my passport (steal).

21. A new plug for the television must (buy).

22. Smoking (not/allow) in this part of the building.

23. I (tell) that fifty people (invite) to the reception.

24. The National Gallery (restore) at the moment.
25. During the Gulf War many oil wells in Kuwait (damage).

36. He (arrest) by a security guide, who later admitted he had made a mistake.

27. When I entered the room Richard still (examine).

            28. I wonder who else is going (invite).

29. Oranges usually (treat) with wax and then (store) in large boxes.
30. We can't take the car yet: it still (repair).

31. The windows are really dirty: they (not/clean) for years.
32. Do you need (wake) up in the morning?

33. The local cinema (close) down three years ago.
34. Very few typewriters (sell) these days.

35. It (estimate) that after it (open) the Millennium Bridge (use) by four million people to        cross the Thames each year.

36. Simon says he regrets giving up studying French at school, as now he (offer) a job in France.

37. Sarah felt unhappy that she (not/pick) for the basketball team.

38. Trafalgar Square looks much better now that some of the buildings (clean).

39. The cat nearly (run) over but luckily the driver stopped just in time.

40. Suzy recently (choose) to represent her school at the national youth festival.

41. The principle of free medical care for everyone (establish) in Britain in 1948.

42. Chris informed that he (select) to go on an expedition through the jungle.
43. When the film "Titanic" came out it (praise) highly by critics.
44. Nowadays ordinary letters (replace) gradually by email.
45. Although the puppy (sweep) out to sea by the huge waves he managed to swim back.
46. The police suspected that the jewels (hide) in the van.
47. I recently (ask) to give a talk about how to prepare students for examinations.
48. Customers (request) to leave their bags at the desk when trying on footwear.
49. Her brother is in hospital now. He (treat) for a stomach ulcer.
50. I just (tell) you wished to see me.