A. Choose the correct word or phrase.
1 The prime minister was / has criticised for his recent actions.
2 When I walked past the Wilsons’ house, their new sofa was / has being delivered.
3 Our teacher was / has told us to take our favourite book to school tomorrow.
4 I think my mobile was / has been stolen!
5 Jonathan was / has chosen to play the lead role in the school play.
6 I’m sleeping downstairs because my bedroom is being painted / has been painting.
7 This picture was / has probably taken during the winter.
8 Your essays must be / have handed in on Friday morning.
9 Someone was / has left their wallet on the floor.
10 Did you hear about the bank being / having robbed?
11 Treasure Island was / has written by Robert Louis Stevenson.
12 It was a real shock when my dad was / has fired from his job.
13 The Vikings had visited America before it was / has discovered by Columbus.
14 When we got to the airport, we learned that our flight was / had been delayed.
15 Was / Has your ticket for the concert tomorrow paid for by you or your parents?
Answer
1 was 2 was 3 has 4 has 5 was
6 is being painted 7 was 8 be
9 has 10 being 11 was 12 was
13 was 14 had 15 Was
B. Complete using the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets.
1 The Earth ………………………… (hold) by the gravity of the Sun and orbits around it.
2 The first feature-length comedy film ………………………… (create) by Charlie Chaplin.
3 The award for best video ………………………… (present) later this evening.
4 By the time you read this, I ………………………… (arrest) for murder.
5 I don’t know whether our tests ………………………… (mark) yet or not.
6 Radio waves ………………………… (discover) by Marconi.
7 You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but Jack ………………………… (bully) when he was at school.
8 Your application ………………………… (consider) and we will let you know was soon as we’ve made a decision.
9 The roof of the car can ………………………… (lower) by pressing this button here.
10 Our tent ………………………… (blow) over in the night by the wind.
11 Chess ………………………… (play) for around two thousand years now.
12 Two men ………………………… (question) at this moment by police in connection with the burglary.
Answer
1 is held 2 was created
3 is going to/will be presented
4 will have been arrested
5 have been marked
6 were discovered
7 was bullied
8 is being considered
9 be lowered 10 was blown
11 has been played
12 are being questioned
C. Write sentences in the passive.
1 Our car / service / a mechanic / at the moment.
……………………………………………….
2 A man / shoot / an air gun / outside the petrol station last night.
……………………………………………….
3 Gunpowder / invent / the Chinese.
……………………………………………….
4 At the surgery yesterday, I / examine / Dr Peterson / and I / give / a prescription.
……………………………………………….
5 I went to see it because I / tell / it was a good film / all my friends.
……………………………………………….
6 This photograph / take / my grandfather.
……………………………………………….
7 It looked like the window / break / a hammer / some time before.
……………………………………………….
8 Our dog / give / an injection / a special syringe / the vet.
……………………………………………….
9 The winning goal in last night’s match / score / Donatello / a brilliant free kick.
……………………………………………….
10 Your cheque / send / last Friday and / should / deliver / to you tomorrow.
……………………………………………….
Answer
1 Our car is being serviced by a mechanic at the moment.
2 A man was shot with an air gun outside the petrol station last night.
3 Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese.
4 At the surgery yesterday, I was examined by Dr Peterson and I was given a prescription.
5 I went to see it because I had been told it was a good film by all my friends.
6 This photograph was taken by my grandfather.
7 It looked like the window had been broken with a hammer some time before.
8 Our dog was given an injection with a special syringe by the vet.
9 The winning goal in last night’s match was scored by Donatello with a brilliant free kick.
10 Your check was sent last Friday and should be delivered to you tomorrow.
D. Rewrite using the phrase given.
1 They have been building the new road for a long time now. (under construction)
……………………………………………….
2 They had been training the horse for the race for over a year. (in training)
……………………………………………….
3 They have been discussing the issue in Parliament. (under discussion)
……………………………………………….
4 They had been observing the criminal for the past two weeks. (under observation)
……………………………………………….
5 They have been using this plane for over 25 years now. (in use)
……………………………………………….
6 They have been developing the Cyborg D423 robot for over ten years. (in development)
……………………………………………….
Answer
1 The new road has been under construction for a long time now.
2 The horse had been in training for the race for over a year.
3 The issue has been under discussion in Parliament.
4 The criminal had been under observation for the past two weeks.
5 This plane has been in use for over 25 years now.
6 The Cyborg D423 robot has been in development for over ten years.
E. Rewrite in the passive starting with the words given.
1 People say that Bali is a beautiful island.
It ………………………………………………
2 People generally think that life won’t be found on Mars.
It ………………………………………………
3 It is generally said that Christmas is too commercialised.
Christmas ………………………………………………
4 People often argue that prison doesn’t work.
It ………………………………………………
5 People have suggested that the school should start to produce a magazine.
It ………………………………………………
6 People say that crocodile tastes like squid.
Crocodile ………………………………………………
7 It is said that the Vikings discovered America before Columbus.
The Vikings ………………………………………………
8 People think that heart disease is caused by eating the wrong things.
Heart disease ………………………………………………
Answer
1 is said that Bali is a beautiful island.
2 is generally thought that life won’t be found on Mars.
3 is generally said to be too commercialised.
4 is often argued that prison doesn’t work.
5 has been suggested that the school start to produce a magazine.
6 is said to taste like squid.
7 are said to have discovered America before Columbus.
8 is thought to be caused by eating the wrong things.
F. Choose the correct answer.
1 We …………… a swimming pool put in this week.
A get B are having
C have D have got
2 Why don’t you get a doctor …………… at your arm?
A to look B looked
C look D be looking
3 My teeth were a little yellow so I …………… by the dentist.
A had cleaned them
B have them cleaned
C was cleaned them
D had them cleaned
4 Stuart’s thinking of having ……………!
A shaved his head
B his head shaving
C his head shaved
D shaved to his head
5 My sister …………… her ear pierced last weekend.
A made B got
C did D took
6 Mum and Dad didn’t fancy cooking, so we got a pizza …………… .
A be delivered
B to be delivered
C delivered
D deliver
7 You should …………… a professional to check your house for earthquake damage.
A have B make
C take D get
8 Kelly wanted to have a live band …………… at her wedding.
A to be played B play
C played D been playing
9 Can we …………… this summer?
A get installed air-conditioning
B get air-conditioning to install
C have installed air-conditioning
D have air-conditioning installed
10 We …………… while we were on holiday.
A were burgled our house
B had our house burgled
C had burgled our house
D got burgled our house
Answer
1 B 2 A 3 D 4 C 5 B
6 C 7 D 8 B 9 D 10 B
G. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.
1 Someone has scratched my car on the door! been
My car ……………………………… on the door!
2 Tommy is having an operation right now. being
Tommy ……………………………… right now.
3 Has Fiona invited you to her party? been
Have ……………………………… party?
4 Shakespeare probably wrote this play in 1587. written
This play ……………………………… Shakespeare in 1587.
5 The government is considering a new law to ban smoking following new research. considered
A new law to ban smoking ……………………………… following new research.
6 My mum told me to go to Megagrocers. sent
I ……………………………… my mum.
7 I didn’t understand a word so I asked my teacher and she explained it to me. got
I didn’t understand a word so I ……………………………… it to me.
Answer
1 has been scratched
2 is being operated on
3 you been invited to Fiona’s
4 was probably written by
5 is being considered
6 was sent to Megagrocer’s by
7 got my teacher to explain
H. Find the extra word.
Wedding disaster
(1) My wedding had been being arranged for months. I knew exactly what I (2) wanted for that special day. I had the caterers to give me a menu and (3) have got them to provide me with samples so that I could be sure we (4) would have the best food. I also wanted to have us a string quartet play (5) classical music and I arranged that, too. My dress was been being made (6) specially and I had told the dressmaker put silver thread in it. Finally, the (7) big day got arrived. My dress was being delivered in the morning, but by (8) ten it still hadn’t arrived. They called me and said it had been being (9) damaged! I was furious! I had my best friend quickly to pop out and get (10) a new dress. I had got my lawyer to call to get my money back.
Answer
1 being 2 to 3 have 4 us 5 been
6 told 7 got 8 being 9 to 10 had
I. Rewrite with the indirect object at the end of the sentence.
1 My dad got me a great computer game!
…………………………………………..
2 Dave sent Jill a really nice letter.
…………………………………………..
3 I threw Colin the ball.
…………………………………………..
4 The waiter offered us a menu.
…………………………………………..
5 The hotel provides its guests with satellite television.
…………………………………………..
6 My grandma taught me this song.
…………………………………………..
Answer
1 My dad got a great computer game for me.
2 Dave sent a really nice letter to Jill.
3 I threw the ball to Colin.
4 The waiter offered a menu to us.
5 The hotel provides satellite television to/for its guests.
6 My grandma taught this song to me.
J. Write one word in each gap.
The European Diet
It’s hard for us to imagine what (1) ………………… included in the European diet before America (2) ………………… discovered (3) ………………… Columbus in 1492. So many ingredients which today (4) ………………… grown all over the world (5) ………………… unknown to medieval Europeans. Potatoes, tomatoes, maize and chocolate (6) ………………… all originally imported from the New World. Until then, meals had (7) ………………… prepared using ingredients native to Europe, such as root vegetables. Of course, spices such as pepper (8) ………………… been traded and added to food for centuries. When the potato (9) ………………… first introduced, it was surprisingly unpopular. It (10) ………………… considered to be poisonous and it took a long time to become common. There is a story of Parmentier, a French army officer, who (11) ………………… potatoes planted in the royal garden and (12) ………………… Marie Antoinette to wear a potato flower to make them fashionable. The poor peasants were curious about the new plants and many of them (13) ………………… stolen to be planted in their own gardens. It was the start of French fries!
Answer
1 was 2 was 3 by 4 are 5 were 6 were 7 been
8 had 9 was 10 was 11 had/got 12 got 13 were
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