Unit

42 Passive 1 (is done / was done)

A Study this example:

This house was built in 1981.

‘This house was built’ is passive.
Compare active and passive:
Somebody built this house in 1981. (active)
subject object

This house was built in 1981. (passive)

subject

When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does:

My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1981.
It’s a big company. It employs two hundred people.
When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject:
‘How old is this house?’ ‘It was built in 1981.’
Two hundred people are employed by the company.

B When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant:
A lot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody stole it, but we don’t know who)
Is this room cleaned every day? (does somebody clean it? – it’s not important who)
If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by:
This house was built by my grandfather.
Two hundred people are employed by the company.

C The passive is be (is/was etc.) + past participle (done/cleaned/seen etc.):

(be) done (be) cleaned (be) damaged (be) built (be) seen etc.
The past participle often ends in -ed (cleaned/damaged etc.), but many important verbs are
irregular (built/done/stolen etc.). See Appendix 1.
Compare active and passive, present simple and past simple:

Present simple
Somebody cleans this room every day.
active: clean(s) / see(s) etc.

passive: am/is/are + cleaned/seen etc. This room is cleaned every day.

Many accidents are caused by careless driving.

I’m not invited to parties very often.
How is this word pronounced?

Past simple
Somebody cleaned this room yesterday.
active: cleaned/saw etc.

passive: was/were + cleaned/seen etc. This room was cleaned yesterday.

We were woken up by a loud noise during the night.

‘Did you go to the party?’ ‘No, I wasn’t invited.’
How much money was stolen in the robbery?

84 Passive 2–3 ➜ Units 43–44 by ➜ Unit 128

Unit
Exercises 42
42.1 Complete the sentences. Use these verbs in the correct form, present or past:
cause damage find hold injure invite
make overtake own send show surround

1 Many accidents are caused by careless driving.

2 Cheese from milk.
3 The roof of the building in a storm a few days ago.
4 A cinema is a place where films .
5 You to the party. Why didn’t you go?
6 This plant is very rare. It in very few places.
7 Although we were driving fast, we by a lot of other cars.
8 In the US, elections for president every four years.
9 There was an accident last night, but fortunately nobody .
10 You can’t see the house from the road. It by trees.
11 I never received the letter. It to the wrong address.
12 The company I work for by a much larger company.
42.2 Write questions using the passive. Some are present and some are past.
1 Ask about glass. (how / make?) How is glass made?
2 Ask about television. (when / invent?) When
3 Ask about mountains. (how / form?)
4 Ask about DNA. (when / discover?)
5 Ask about silver. (what / use for?)
42.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present or past, active or passive.
1 a Two hundred people are employed (employ) by the company.
b The company employs (employ) 200 people.
2 a Water (cover) most of the earth’s surface.
b How much of the earth’s surface (cover) by water?
3 a While I was on holiday, my camera (steal) from my hotel room.
b While I was on holiday, my camera (disappear) from my hotel room.
4 a Robert’s parents (die) when he was very young.
b Robert and his sister (bring up) by their grandparents.
5 a The boat hit a rock and (sink) quickly.
b Fortunately everybody (rescue).
6 a Bill (fire) from his job. He wasn’t very good at it.
b Sue (resign) from her job because she didn’t enjoy it any more.
7 a It can be noisy living here, but it (not / bother) me.
b It can be noisy living here, but I (not / bother) by it.
8 a Maria had an accident. She (knock) off her bike.
b Maria had an accident. She (fall) off her bike.
9 a I haven’t seen these flowers before. What (they / call)?
b I haven’t seen these flowers before. What (you / call) them?
42.4 Instead of using somebody, they, people etc., write a passive sentence.
1 Somebody cleans the room every day. The room is cleaned every day .
2 They cancelled all flights because of fog. All .
3 Somebody accused me of stealing money. money.
4 How do you use this word? How used?
5 The price includes all taxes. All in the price.
6 People warned us not to go out alone. We .
7 We don’t use this office any more. This .
8 They invited five hundred people to the Five hundred
wedding. .
85
Unit
43 Passive 2 (be done / been done / being done)
A Infinitive
active: (to) do/clean/see etc. Somebody will clean this room later.

passive: (to) be + done/cleaned/seen etc. This room will be cleaned later.

The situation is serious. Something must be done before it’s too late.
A mystery is something that can’t be explained.
The music was very loud and could be heard from a long way away.
A new supermarket is going to be built next year.
Please go away. I want to be left alone.

B Perfect infinitive
active: (to) have + done/cleaned/seen etc. Somebody should have cleaned the room .

passive: (to) have been + done/cleaned/seen etc. The room should have been cleaned.
I haven’t received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address.
If you had locked the car, it wouldn’t have been stolen.
There were some problems at first, but they seem to have been solved.

C Present perfect
active: have/has + done etc. The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it .

passive: have/has been + done etc. The room looks nice. It has been cleaned.
Have you heard? The trip has been cancelled.
Have you ever been bitten by a dog?
‘Are you going to the party?’ ‘No, I haven’t been invited.’

Past perfect
active: had + done etc. The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it .

passive: had been + done etc. The room looked nice. It had been cleaned.
The vegetables didn’t taste good. They had been cooked too long.
The car was three years old, but hadn’t been used very much.

D Present continuous
active: am/is/are + (do)ing Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment.

passive: am/is/are + being (done) The room is being cleaned at the moment.
There’s somebody walking behind us. I think we are being followed.
A new bridge is being built across the river. It will be finished next year.

Past continuous
active: was/were + (do)ing Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived.

passive: was/were + being (done) The room was being cleaned when I arrived.
There was somebody walking behind us. I think we were being followed.

86 Passive 1, 3 ➜ Units 42, 44

Unit
Exercises 43
43.1 Complete these sentences. Use the following verbs in the passive:
arrest carry cause delay do forget keep knock know make repair send

Sometimes you need have (might have, would have etc.).

1 The situation is serious. Something must be done before it’s too late.
2 I haven’t received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address.
3 A decision will not until the next meeting.
4 These documents are important. They should always in a safe place.
5 This road is in bad condition. It should a long time ago.
6 The injured man couldn’t walk and had to .
7 If you hadn’t shouted at the policeman, you wouldn’t .
8 I’m not sure what time I’ll arrive tomorrow. I may .
9 It’s not certain how the fire started. It might by an electrical fault.
10 A new school is being built. The old one is going to down.
11 The election is next Sunday. The full results will on Tuesday.
12 Last week they weren’t speaking to one another. Now they’re happy again. The problem seems to
.

43.2 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Sometimes the verb is active, sometimes passive.
1 There’s somebody behind us. (We / follow) We’re being followed.
2 This door is a different colour, isn’t it? (you / paint?) Have you painted it?
3 My bike has disappeared. (It / steal!) It
4 My umbrella has disappeared. (Somebody / take) Somebody
5 A neighbour of mine disappeared six months ago.
(He / not / see / since then) He
6 I wonder how Jessica is these days.
(I / not / see / for ages) I
7 A friend of mine was stung by a bee recently.
(you / ever / sting / bee?) you
8 The bridge was damaged recently.
(It / repair / at the moment) It
9 Tom’s car was stolen recently.
(It / not / find / yet)
10 I went into the room and saw that the table and chairs were not in the same place.
(The furniture / move) The

43.3 Instead of using ‘somebody’, ‘they’ etc., write a passive sentence.

1 Somebody has cleaned the room. The room has been cleaned .
2 They are building a new road around the city.
A around the city.
3 They have built two new hotels near the airport.
Two near the airport.
4 When I last visited, they were building some new houses here.
When I last visited, some .
5 The meeting is now on 15 April. They have changed the date.
The date of .
6 I didn’t know that somebody was recording our conversation.
I didn’t know that our .
7 Is anyone doing anything about the problem?
anything the problem?
8 The windows were very dirty. Nobody had cleaned them for ages.
The windows were very dirty. They .

➜ Additional exercises 22–24 (pages 314–15) 87

Unit
44 Passive 3
A I was offered … / we were given … etc.
Some verbs can have two objects. For example, give:
My grandfather gave me this watch.

⎩
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎨
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎧
⎩
⎨
⎧
object 1 object 2

It is possible to make two passive sentences:

I was given this watch (by my grandfather). or
This watch was given to me (by my grandfather).
Other verbs which can have two objects are:
ask offer pay show tell
When we use these verbs in the passive, most often we begin with the person:
I’ve been offered the job, but I don’t think I want it. (= somebody has offered me the job)
You will be given plenty of time to decide. (= we will give you plenty of time)
I didn’t see the original document, but I was shown a copy. (= somebody showed me a copy)
Tim has an easy job – he’s paid a lot of money to do very little. (= somebody pays him a lot)

B I don’t like being …

The passive of doing/seeing etc. is being done / being seen etc. Compare:
active: I don’t like people telling me what to do.
passive: I don’t like being told what to do.
I remember being taken to the zoo when I was a child.
(= I remember somebody taking me to the zoo)
Steve hates being kept waiting. (= he hates people keeping him waiting)
We climbed over the wall without being seen. (= without anybody seeing us)

C I was born …
We say ‘I was born …’ (not I am born):
I was born in Chicago. ⎧
⎨ past
Where were you born? (not Where are you born?) ⎩
but
How many babies are born every day? present

D get
You can use get for the passive:
There was a fight, but nobody got hurt. (= nobody was hurt)
I don’t get invited to many parties. (= I’m not invited)
I’m surprised Liz didn’t get offered the job. (= Liz wasn’t offered the job)
We use get only when things happen. For example, you cannot use get in these sentences:
Jessica is liked by everybody. (not gets liked – this is not a ‘happening’)
Peter was a mystery man. Very little was known about him. (not got known)
We use get mainly in informal spoken English. You can use be in all situations.
We also use get in the following expressions (which are not passive in meaning):
get married, get divorced get dressed (= put on your clothes)
get lost (= not know where you are) get changed (= change your clothes)

88 Passive 1–2 ➜ Units 42–43

Key to Exercises

38.3 UNIT 40 UNIT 41

2 I bought
40.1 41.1
3 would you invite
2 If she’d missed / she had missed 2 hope
4 he asked
(the train), she’d have missed / she 3 wish
5 I’d be / I would be
would have missed (her flight too). 4 wished
6 somebody gave … I’d have / I would
3 I’d have forgotten / I would have 5 hope
have
forgotten (if) you hadn’t reminded 6 wish
7 Would you be … you met
4 I’d had / I had had (your email 7 hope
8 would you do … you were … it
address) I’d have sent / I would have
stopped 41.2
sent (you an email)
2 wasn’t/weren’t
38.4 5 they’d have enjoyed / they would
3 ’d told / had told
2 If we stayed at a hotel, it would cost have enjoyed (it more if the weather)
4 had / could have
too much. had been (better)
5 could
3 If I told you what happened, you 6 It would have been (quicker if) we’d
6 hadn’t bought
wouldn’t believe me. or … believe it. walked / we had walked
7 didn’t have
4 If she left her job, it would be hard to 7 you’d told / you had told (me) I’d
8 have gone
find another one. have tried / I would have tried
5 If he applied for the job, he wouldn’t 8 I were / I was 41.3
get it. 9 I’d been / I had been 2 I wish she would come. or
… would hurry up.
40.2
UNIT 39 2 If the road hadn’t been icy, the
3 I wish somebody would give
me a job.
39.1 accident wouldn’t have happened.
4 I wish the/that dog would
3 I’d help / I would help 3 If I’d known / If I had known (that
stop barking.
4 It would taste you had to get up early), I’d have
5 I wish you wouldn’t drive so fast.
5 we lived woken / I would have woken you up.
6 I wish you wouldn’t leave the
6 we’d live / we would live 4 If I hadn’t lost my phone (or If I’d had
door open (all the time).
7 I was / I were my phone), I’d have called you. or
7 I wish people wouldn’t drop
8 it wasn’t / it weren’t … I would have called you. or
litter in the street.
9 I wouldn’t wait … I’d go / I would go … I could have called you.
10 you didn’t go … you wouldn’t be 5 If Karen hadn’t been wearing a seat 41.4
11 there weren’t … there wouldn’t be belt, she’d have been injured / 3 I knew
12 would you do if you didn’t have she would have been injured (in the 4 we hadn’t gone
crash). or … she might have been 5 the bus would come
39.2
injured or … she could have 6 I could come
2 I’d / I would buy them if they weren’t
been injured 7 it was/were
so expensive.
6 If you’d had / If you had had (some) 8 I’d taken / I had taken
3 We’d / We would go on holiday if we
breakfast, you wouldn’t be hungry 9 you’d listen / you would listen
could afford it.
now. 10 you wouldn’t complain or
4 We could have lunch outside
7 If I’d had / If I had had enough you didn’t complain
if it weren’t/wasn’t raining.
5 If I wanted his advice, I’d / I would money, I’d have got / I would have 11 it wasn’t/weren’t
ask for it. got a taxi. (or … taken a taxi) 12 the weather would change
8 If Dan had done well/better at 13 I had / I could have
39.3 14 we could have stayed
school, he could/would have gone
2 I wish I had more free time.
to university.
3 I wish Helen were/was here. UNIT 42
4 I wish it weren’t/wasn’t (so) cold. 40.3
2 I wish I’d learned / I wish I had learned 42.1
5 I wish I didn’t live in a big city.
to play a musical instrument (when I 2 is made
6 I wish I could find my phone.
was younger). or I wish I could play 3 was damaged
7 I wish I was/were feeling well/better.
… / I wish I was able to play … 4 are shown
8 I wish I didn’t have to get up early
3 I wish I hadn’t painted it red. or 5 were invited
tomorrow.
… the gate red. or I wish I had 6 ’s/is found
9 I wish I knew more about science.
painted it a different colour. 7 were overtaken
39.4 8 are held
4 I wish we’d gone / I wish we had
Example answers: 9 was injured
gone by train. or
1 I wish I was at home. 10 is surrounded
I wish we hadn’t gone by car.
2 I wish I had a big garden. 11 was sent
5 I wish we’d had / I wish we had had
3 I wish I could tell jokes. 12 is owned
more time (to do all the things we
4 I wish I was taller.
wanted to do). 42.2
6 I wish I hadn’t moved (to my new 2 When was television invented?
flat). or I wish I’d stayed where I 3 How are mountains formed?
was. / … stayed in my old flat. 4 When was DNA discovered?
5 What is silver used for?

344
Key to Exercises

42.3 UNIT 44 45.3

2 a covers 2 You’re / You are supposed to
44.1
b is covered be my friend.
2 was given
3 a was stolen 3 I’m / I am supposed to be on a diet.
3 wasn’t told / was not told
b disappeared 4 It was supposed to be a joke.
4 ’s paid / is paid
4 a died 5 Or maybe it’s / it is supposed
5 been shown
b were brought up to be a flower.
6 was asked
5 a sank 6 You’re / You are supposed to
7 weren’t given / were not given
b was rescued be working.
8 to be offered
6 a was fired 7 It’s supposed to be open every day.
b resigned 44.2
45.4
7 a doesn’t bother 2 being invited
2 ’re / are supposed to start
b ’m/am not bothered 3 being given
3 was supposed to phone
8 a was knocked 4 being knocked down
4 aren’t / ’re not / are not
b fell 5 being bitten
supposed to put
9 a are they called 6 being treated
5 was supposed to depart
b do you call 7 being stuck
6 isn’t / ’s not / is not supposed to lift
42.4 44.3
2 All flights were cancelled because 2 got stung UNIT 46
of fog. 3 get used
46.1
3 I was accused of stealing money. 4 got stolen
1 b 3 a
4 How is this word used? 5 get paid
2 a 4 b
5 All taxes are included in the price. 6 get broken
7 get asked 46.2
6 We were warned not to go out alone.
8 got stopped 2 Sarah has her car serviced once a year.
7 This office isn’t / is not used any more.
3 Have you had your eyes tested
8 Five hundred people were invited to 44.4
recently?
the wedding. 3 were
4 I don’t like having my hair cut.
4 given
5 It cost fifteen pounds to have my suit
UNIT 43 5 lost
cleaned.
43.1 6 being
6 You need to get this document
3 be made 7 get
translated as soon as possible.
4 be kept 8 doesn’t
5 have been repaired 9 was 46.3
6 be carried 10 weren’t 2 I had it cut.
7 have been arrested 3 We had them cleaned.
8 be delayed UNIT 45 4 He had it built.
9 have been caused 5 I had them delivered.
45.1
10 be knocked 6 She had them repaired.
2 Many people are reported to
11 be known be homeless after the floods. 46.4
12 have been forgotten 3 The thieves are thought to have got 2 f 5 c
43.2 in through a window in the roof. 3 a 6 b
3 It’s been stolen! / It has been stolen! 4 The driver (of the car) is alleged to 4 e
4 Somebody has taken it. or have been driving at 110 miles an
46.5
… taken my umbrella. hour. or … to have driven at …
2 We had our bags searched.
5 He hasn’t been seen since then. 5 The building is reported to have
3 I’ve had my salary increased. or
6 I haven’t seen her for ages. been badly damaged by the fire.
I had my salary increased.
7 Have you ever been stung by a bee? 6 The company is said to be losing a
4 He’s had his application refused. or
8 It’s / It is being repaired at the moment. lot of money.
He had his application refused.
9 It hasn’t / It has not been found yet. 7 The company is believed to have lost
10 The furniture had been moved. a lot of money last year. UNIT 47
8 The company is expected to make a
43.3 47.1
loss this year.
2 A new road is being built 2 (that) it was too far
3 Two new hotels have been built 45.2 3 (that) she didn’t want to go
4 some new houses were being built 2 they’re / they are supposed to be 4 (that) he would let me know next week.
5 The date of the meeting has been 3 it’s / it is supposed to have been 5 (that) he hadn’t seen her for a while
changed. 4 they’re / they are supposed to have 6 (that) I could borrow hers.
6 I didn’t know that our conversation won 7 (that) she wasn’t enjoying it very much
was being recorded. 5 the view is supposed to be 8 (that) he sold it a few months ago
7 Is anything being done about the 6 she’s / she is supposed to be living or he’d sold it … / he had sold it …
problem? 9 (that) she didn’t know
8 They hadn’t / had not been cleaned 10 (that) there were twenty students in
for ages. her class

345