EXERCISES
1 Using one was/were + past participle (passive) form, and one past simple (active) form, which
one of the two verbs can complete both sentences in the pair? (A)
1 a She .was.noticed, coming into class late. (recall /(notice))
b I ..noticed... her carrying a yellow bag.
2 a I them taking apples from my garden. (catch / not mind)
b They stealing apples from the farmer's fields.
3 a As he fell into the pool, he himself shouting for help. (imagine / hear)
b Jones shouting at Mrs Markham before the robbery.
4 a I waiting for at least an hour. (dislike / keep)
b I getting caught in the rain without an umbrella.
5 a We the bills waiting for us when we got home. (find / dread)
b They entering the building with knives.
6 a We the birthday presents that Uncle Joseph sent. (see / like)
b The children playing football in the park this morning.
2 Complete the sentences using a pair of verbs. Use the past simple for the first verb and a passive
form with being + past participle or to be + past participle for the second. (A & B)
avoid / ran down seem / design appear / crack deserve / given
not mind / photograph deny / pay resent / ask tend / forget
1 He ...deserved to be ..given... a n award for bravery.
2 The tin opener for left-handed people.
3 He any money for giving his advice to the company.
4 She to make tea for everyone at the meeting.
5 Many reliable methods of storing information when computers arrived.
6 I narrowly by the bus as it came round the corner.
7 The parents with their children.
8 The window in a number of places.
3 If necessary, correct these sentences. (A & B)
1 Ken was wanted to be the leader of the party.
2 I had been taught to be played chess by the time I was four.
3 Monica is considered to be the best student in the class.
4 The painting has been reported being missing.
5 Derek is hated to be away from home so often.
6 Joan and Frank are being allowed to keep the prize money.
7 Jane is preferred to ride her bike where her parents can see her.
4 Make passive sentences beginning with the underlined word(s). Does the sentence you have
written have a corresponding meaning to the original, or a different meaning? (B)
1 The Japanese visitors struggled to understand lames.
2 The questions appeared to confuse David.
3 The teacher tended to ignore the girls at the front.
4 Lesley refused to congratulate Tim.
Keys:
1
2 a caught; b were caught
3 a heard; b was heard
4 a was kept; b kept
5 a found; b were found
6 a saw; b were seen
2
2 seemed to be designed
3 denied being paid
4 resented being asked
5 tended to be forgotten
6 avoided being run down
7 didn't mind being photographed
8 appeared to be cracked
3
1 No passive. Possible correction:
People wanted Ken to be the leader of the party.
2 I had been taught to play chess...
3 √
4 The painting has been reported (to be) missing.
5 No passive. Possible correction:
Everyone hates Derek to be away from home so often.
6 √
7 No passive. Possible correction:
Her parents prefer Jane to ride her bike where they can seeher.
4
1 James struggled to be understood by the Japanese visitors, (different meaning)
2 David appeared to be confused by the questions, (corresponding meaning)
3 The girls at the front tended to be ignored by the teacher, (corresponding meaning)
4 Tim refused to be congratulated by Lesley, (different meaning)