Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2. Elementary Today we are going ...

Elementary
Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
Today we are going to practise passive sentences.
Source: Oxford Practice Grammar Basic
www.oupbooks.hu
We form the Present Simple Passive like this:
Am/is/are + past participle
Glass is made from sand.
This programme is shown on TV every Thursday.
These computers aren’t produced any more.
When is breakfast served in this hotel?
We form the Past Simple Passive like this:
Was/were + Past Participle
Anna was born in Germany.
Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.
The goods weren’t delivered yesterday.
When was your camera stolen?
Look at these sentences:
ACTIVE: They sell cold drinks here.
PASSIVE: Cold drinks are sold here.
Az aktív mondat tárgya lesz a szenvedı mondat alanya.
We use the passive when it is not important who does the action, or when we don’t know who
does it.
These cars were made in Japan. (We don’t need to say … by Japanese workers.)
This castle was built in the twelfth century. (We don’t know who built it.)
Now look at these examples:
Alfred Hitchcock was a great film-maker. He directed this film in 1956.
This is a wonderful film. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
In the second sentence we use passive because we have been talking about something (the film)
and not the person who did it (Hitchcock). We use BY to say who does, or did, the action.
Complete the sentences using the correct forms of the verbs from the list. Use the passive form
of the Present Simple or Past Simple.
BUILD / CHECK / FOUND / HOLD / MAKE / PRODUCE / REPAIR / SELL / SPEAK / WRITE
1. Scotch whiskey _____________ in Scotland.
2. The car _______________ last week.
3. The Olympic Games _________________ every four years.
4. English _______________in many countries.
5. Yesterday ___________________ by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
6. Car speeds __________________ by radar.
7. The Channel Tunnel ________________ to connect Britain with Europe.
8. Souvenirs _______________ at all popular tourist places.
9. The first Volkswagen Beetles ____________ in 1937.
10. The Times newspaper _______________ in 1785.

Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
Now write the questions for the sentences in the above exercise, using the Passive form.
1. Where _____________________________________________?
2. When _____________________________________________?
3. How often _____________________________________________?
4. Where _____________________________________________?
5. Who _____________________________________________?
6. How _____________________________________________?
7. Why _____________________________________________?
8. Where _____________________________________________?
9. When _____________________________________________?
10. When _____________________________________________?
Change the active sentences into passive sentences. Use the words in brackets ( ).
1. We sell tickets for all shows at the box office. (tickets for all shows / sell / at the box office)
______________________________________________________________.
2. Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb. (the electric light bulb / invent / by Thomas
Edison) ______________________________________________.
3. Someone painted the office last week. ( the office / paint / last week)
______________________________________________________________.
4. Several people saw the accident. (the accident / see / by several people)
______________________________________________________________.
5. Where do they make these video recorders? (where / these video recorders / make)
________________________________________________________.
6. Six countries signed the agreement. (the agreement / sign / by six countries)
______________________________________________________________.
7. A stranger helped me. (I / help / by a stranger)
______________________________________________________________.
8. They don’t deliver the post on Sundays. (the post / not deliver / on Sundays)
______________________________________________________________.
Put in the correct active or passive form in brackets ( ).
Fiat 1. _________ ( started / was started) by a group of Italian businessmen in 1899. In 1903,
Fiat 2._________ (produced / was produced) 132 cars. Some of these cars 3. ______________
(exported / were exported) by the company to the United States and Britain. In 1920, Fiat
4.___________________ (started / was started) making cars at a new factory at Lingotto, near
Turin. There was a track on the roof where the cars 5._____________ (tested / were tested) by
technicians. In 1936, Fiat launched the Fiat 500. This car 6. ____________ (called / was called)
the Topolino – the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. The company grew, and in 1963 Fiat
7._________________ (exported / was exported) more than 300, 000 vehicles. Today, Fiat is
based in Turin, and its cars 8. ________________ ( sold / are sold) all over the world.

Intermediate
Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
Today we are going to practise passive sentences.
Source: Oxford Practice Grammar Intermediate
www.oupbooks.hu
Complete the table below.
Present Simple
Active: We bake the bread here.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Present Continuous:
Active: We are baking the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Present Perfect:
Active: We have baked the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Past Simple:
Active: We baked the bread yesterday.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Past Continuous:
Active: We were baking the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Past Perfect:
Active: We had baked the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Future:
Active: We will bake the bread next.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Active: We are going to bake the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Modal verb:
Active: We should bake the bread soon.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Active: We ought to bake the bread.
Passive: The bread ____________________.
Complete the information about the Barford Hall. Put in the correct form of these verbs.
BUILD (PAST SIMPLE) / USE (PAST CONTINUOUS) / NOT LOOK (PAST PERFECT) / USE
(PRESENT SIMPLE) / OWN (PRESENT SIMPLE) / BUY (PAST SIMPLE) / DO (PRESENT
PERFECT)
The building at the end of the High Street is Barford Hall, which 1.________________ in 1827.
Today the Hall 2. ____________ by Bardale Council. It 3. _________________ as a warehouse
when it 4.____________ by the Council in 1952, and it 5. ______________________ after very

Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
well. Since then a lot of work 6.___________________________ on it, and these days the Hall
7.________________ as an arts centre.
A press conference is being held. Put in the correct form of the verbs.
Reporter: Can this new drug prolong human life?
Professor: Yes, we believe that human life ____________________ by the drug.
Reporter: Are you going to do any more tests on the drug?
Professor: Yes, further tests _______________________ soon.
Reporter: What ______ the drug ______________?
Professor: It will be called Bio-Meg.
Reporter: Can people buy the drug now?
Professor: No, it ______________________ by the public yet.
Reporter: Do you think the company should sell this drug?
Professor: Yes, I think Bio-Meg _______________________ to anyone who wants it.
Choose the correct verb form in this news report about a storm.
Millions of pounds’ worth of damage 0. has caused / has been caused by the storm which 1.
swept / was swept across the north of England last night. The River Ribble 3. burst / was burst its
banks after heavy rain. Many people 4. rescued / were rescued from the floods by fire-fighters,
who 5. received / were received hundreds of calls for help. Wind speeds 6. reached / were
reached ninety miles an hour in some places. Roads 7. blocked / were blocked by fallen trees,
and electricity lines 8. brought / were brought down, leaving thousands of home without
electricity. ‘Everything possible 9. is doing / is being done to get things back to normal,’ a
spokesman 10. said / was said.
You are telling a friend some news. Use the notes and complete the second sentence.
Sometimes you need to use the active and sometimes the passive.
1. (Past Simple: Claire go to Florida last month) You remember Claire? She
___________________________________.
2. (Present Perfect: send our luggage to Australia) Bad news about our luggage. It’s
________________________________.
3. (Past Simple: Claude Jennings win the quiz competition) Did you hear about the quiz
competition? It__________________________________________.
4. (Past Simple: Mrs Miles do a parachute jump last week) You know Mrs Miles? She
________________________________________________.
5. (Present Perfect: a bull attack David) Have you heard about David? He’s
_________________________________________________.
6. (Present Continuous: build the house) Trevor and Lara have bought a house. It’s still
___________________________________________.
7. (Present Simple: Andrew like Jessica) Did I tell you about Andrew? He
_________________________________________________.
8. (Present Perfect: throw away your stamp collection) Bad news about your stamp
collection. It’s __________________________________________.
9. (Present Perfect: Martians kidnap my neighbours) Did I mention my neighbours? They’ve
_________________________________________.
10. (Past Simple: five people see the ghost) Did you hear about the ghost? It
__________________________________________________________.

Advanced
Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
Today we are going to practise passive sentences.
Source: Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced
www.oupbooks.hu
Read through this news report.
For as long as people can remember, small towns like Stone Creek and Pineville in northern
Alabama have been hit by storms every spring. They are as predictable as the apple blossoms
that are always shaken loose from the trees and blown along the country roads. Some trees may
be knocked over or the roof of a building might be slightly damaged, but usually the effects of the
storms are more inconvenient than deadly. This year was different.
Last night, a powerful storm roared into the area, sending devastating tornadoes spinning through
the small farming communities. It destroyed farms, schools and churches and buried people in
the ruins of their own homes. It transformed the landscape. Herds of cattle that had been moved
into the barns for safety are nowhere to be seen, nor are the barns. Other building where tractors
and equipment were being stored seem to have been completely blown away.
The scenes of devastation this morning are described by one rescue worker as ‘like the end of
the world’. Since first light, rescue crews have been moving around the countryside, looking for
survivors. Small teams have had to be flown in to some areas by helicopter because the roads
have been blocked by dozens of fallen trees. In other areas, rescuers don’t know what they will
find as they search through the debris. ‘We’re guessing that there are some people who may
have been pinned down under their own ceilings,’ says Greg Hayden, a fire-fighter from Atlanta.
‘Sometimes we can’t tell the houses from the stables or the garages. It’s a mess. Dozens of
people and animals could have been buried in there.’
One by one, the miracles and the tragedies are coming to light. Jim Clinton, having been warned
of the approaching storm on his radio, drove his wife and daughter to his local church. He thought
it would be safer there than staying in his small house. Two of the church walls collapsed, but
after being trapped inside for four hours, the Clintons were found alive by rescuers this morning.
Not far away, an old couple had retreated to the basement of their home as the storm
approached. Tragically, they were both killed when part of a wall crashed through the floor on top
of them. The names of all victims are being withheld until their families can be notified.
At least 38 people have died and many more are missing. About 100 people have been seriously
injured and more than 1,000 have been left homeless. The search for the missing may last for
days, but the effects of this one storm are going to be felt for many years. ‘It’s like someone
dropped a bomb,’ said one shocked woman as she searched through the remains of what used
to be her home.
Complete this summary using appropriate forms of verbs from the news report.
At least 38 people have died, about 100 1. _________ seriously _____________, and more than
1,000 2. _________________ homeless in northern Alabama after the area
3.____________________ by a powerful storm last night. Rams, schools and churches
4.________________ and some people 5. ______________ in the ruins of their own homes.
Fallen trees 6. _______________ roads in some areas, so rescue teams 7.____________ by
helicopter. The effects of this storm 8. _______________ for years.
Complete this table with one example of each type of passive from the news report.
PRESENT SIMPLE PASSIVE:
PRESENT CONTUNOUS PASSIVE:
PRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE:
PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE:

PAST CONTINUOUS PASSIVE:
PAST PERFECT PASSIVE:
Napi Angol Percek 2011. június 2.
Complete this news report with these verbs in the passive.
BLOCK / CLOSE / DESTROY / EXPECT / FLOOD / INJURE / KNOCK / LEAVE / REPORT /
RESCUE
Many homes on the island of Jamaica 1. ________________ by hurricane Lester yesterday.
Today, high winds 2.___________________ to bring more rain and problems for the island’s
residents. Some parts of the island 3._________________ without electricity last night and many
roads 4._____________ by fallen trees that 5.___________________ down during the storm.
The area around Savanna – La – Mar on the south coast 6. ________________________ and
some residents have had 7._______________________ from the roofs of their houses. Most
businesses and schools in Kingston 8._____________ today as people emerge from their
battered homes to survey the damage. More than 100 people 9.___________________, but no
deaths 10. _____________________.
Choose one passive verb phrase for each space in these sentences (from the report on the use
of DNA testing by the police).
IS ALSO CALLED / IS BELIEVED / WAS RELEASED / HAS ALSO BEEN USED / HAVE BEEN
SHOWN / HAD BEEN SENTENCED / CAN BE USED / MAY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED /
WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SOLVED
DNA is the chemical in the cells of plants and animals which carries inherited characteristics, or
genetic information. DNA testing 1._______________________ to identify each person as a
unique individual on the basis of that genetic information. It 2._________________________
‘genetic fingerprinting’. The results of DNA testing are now being accepted as evidence in cases
where it 3.___________________ that the wrong person 4.__________________ of a crime.
In recent years, more than seventy people 5.______________ to be innocent through DNA
testing. Many of those people 6._______________ to life in prison. In one case, a man
7.____________________ after nineteen years in prison. DNA testing
8._______________________ in some murder cases that 9.______________________ without
it.