Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks (exam format)
Write the correct passive form of the verb in brackets. Contexts are taken from the lessons, as in the board paper.
A. 'The Voter'
Chief the Honourable Marcus Ibe _ (elect) five years ago. Before the next election, jute bags of shillings (give) to the campaign boys. On election day the voters' thumbs _ (mark) with indelible ink.
Answers: was elected · were given · were marked (Simple past throughout; note the plural subjects in the second and third blanks.)
B. 'Where There Is a Wheel'
In Pudukkottai, cycling _ (choose) by rural women as a symbol of freedom. Training camps (conduct) by Arivoli Iyakkam. Loans _ (arrange) for the women so that cycles could be bought.
Answers: was chosen · were conducted · were arranged
C. 'Too Dear!'
Monaco _ (call) a toy kingdom. Taxes (collect) from the people, but the money was not enough. The gaming house _ (open) to increase the revenue.
Answers: was called · were collected · was opened
D. 'Water'
In the wada, water _ (deny) to the panchama. It (pour) from a distance into his pot. Today the same water _ (sell) in bottles as mineral water.
Answers: was denied · was poured · is sold (The last blank shifts to the present, because of "Today".)
E. 'Japan and Brazil Through a Traveller's Eye'
In Japan, tickets _ (check) only after the conductors had bowed. Bowing girls (employ) at the top of escalators. In Brazil, pedestrians _ (treat) as fair game by the drivers.
Answers: were checked · were employed · were treated
Exercise 2: Change into the Passive Voice
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Roof tore the ballot paper. | The ballot paper was torn by Roof. |
| The elders picked up the money. | The money was picked up by the elders. |
| Sheela Rani Chunkath trained the activists. | The activists were trained by Sheela Rani Chunkath. |
| Muthu Bhaskaran wrote the cycling song. | The cycling song was written by Muthu Bhaskaran. |
| UNICEF has sanctioned fifty mopeds. | Fifty mopeds have been sanctioned by UNICEF. |
| The villagers are selling their votes. | Their votes are being sold by the villagers. |
| The landlords had stopped Suvarthamma. | Suvarthamma had been stopped by the landlords. |
| The company will bottle this water. | This water will be bottled by the company. |
| The women must learn cycling. | Cycling must be learnt by the women. |
| Tolstoy adapted the story. | The story was adapted by Tolstoy. |
| Somebody has broken the pot. | The pot has been broken. |
| They are building a new well. | A new well is being built. |
Exercise 3: Change into the Active Voice
| Passive | Active |
|---|---|
| The prize was won by Fatima. | Fatima won the prize. |
| The poem has been translated by Uma Bhrugubanda. | Uma Bhrugubanda has translated the poem. |
| The house was opened by the Archbishop. | The Archbishop opened the house. |
| Water is carried by the women every morning. | The women carry water every morning. |
| The song is being sung by the learners. | The learners are singing the song. |
| The letter must be posted today. | You must post the letter today. |
Exercise 4: Find and Correct the Error
| Sentence with an error | Correction |
|---|---|
| The ballot paper was tore by Roof. | was torn (V3, not V2) |
| The mopeds was sanctioned by UNICEF. | mopeds were sanctioned (plural subject) |
| A murder is committed in that kingdom. | a murder was committed (the paragraph is in the past) |
| The women is trained by the activists. | The women are trained (plural) |
| This work must done at once. | must be done (modal + be + V3) |
| He was arrived at the booth first. | He arrived at the booth first (no passive) |
| The song was write by a male activist. | was written |
| Water has been denying to the wada. | has been denied |
Exercise 5: Mixed Practice (write the passive)
- The board asks three questions on the passive every year.
- Kannammal is training the new learners.
- The dealer had sold three hundred cycles.
- The poet remembers her childhood.
- The tsunami swallowed village after village.
- They will publish the results tomorrow.
Answers
- Three questions on the passive are asked by the board every year.
- The new learners are being trained by Kannammal.
- Three hundred cycles had been sold by the dealer.
- Her childhood is remembered by the poet.
- Village after village was swallowed by the tsunami.
- The results will be published tomorrow.
[Exam Tip] — In the exam you lose marks most often for three things: writing V2 instead of V3, using was with a plural subject, and changing the tense of the paragraph. Check those three before you move on.