REPHRASING EXERCISES CORRECTION

Passive

B. Spot the mistakes in these sentences.

1. The books are written by a Portuguese writer.

2. The prize was won by the school team.
3. The door was opened with an old key.
4. Decisions will be taken by common agreement.
5. The results will be announced in two weeks time.
6. Cars have been sold at a higher price.
7. A new museum is being built in the city centre.
8. The new sports centre was built last year.
9. New mummies have been discovered in Egypt.

C. Rewrite as indicated below

1.The policeman stopped the burglar

The burglar was stopped by the police

2. Thousands of people watched the rock concert

The rock concert was watched by thousands of people

3. They will repair our bathroom at the end of the week.

Our bathroom will be repaired at he end of the week

4. They have elected a new President.

A new President has been elected

5. The government is building a new hospital.

A new hospital is being built by the government

6. They have closed the motorway.

The motorway has been closed

7. Our students write interesting articles for the school newspaper.

Interesting articles are written for the school newspaper by our students

8. Someone stole my wallet.

 My wallet was stolen

9. The Greek team won the European cup.

The European cup was won by the Greek team

10. The waiter in a red coat served dinner.

Dinner was served by the waiter in a red coat

D. Rewrite as indicated below..

1. They have closed the school.

The school has been closed

2. Millions of people speak English all over the world.

English is spoken by millions of people

3. One of the students left the gym equipment in the playground.

The gym equipment was left in the playground by one of the students

4. The burglars have left the office door open.

The office door has been left open by the burglars

5. The people of London have welcome the Queen.

The Queen has been welcome by the people of London

6. The headmaster will punish the students that have missed the classes.

The students that have missed the train will be punished by the headmaster

7. The director postponed the meeting.

The meeting was postponed by the director

8. The City Mayor is doing a good work.

A good work is being done by the City Mayor

9. The police have arrested a group of terrorists.

 A group of terrorists has been arrested by the police

10. The English team will play the semi-final next Friday evening.

The semi-final will be played by the English team next Friday

E. Rewrite the following sentences as indicated below (Indirect Passive)

1. They give us the information every week.

E.g. We are given the information every week.

2. They don't give him a present every year

He isn’t given a present every year

2. They usually tell her everything they know.

She is usually told everything they know

3. They aren’t telling her all the truth

She isn’t being told the truth

4. They aren’t paying him much.

He isn’t being paid much

5. He didn't tell Mr Y what was happening.

Mr Y wasn’t told what was happening

6. They paid Mr Y £500

Mr Y was paid £500

5. The experiment didn't injure Mr Y

Mr Y wasn’t injured by the experiment

6. They didn't ask Mr Y to come back later

Mr Y wasn’t asked to come back later

7. They weren’t informing her properly.

She wasn’t being informed properly

8. The teacher has given the students a severe telling-off

The students have been given a severe telling-off

9. They have been visiting Mary a lot lately.

Mary has been visited a lot lately

10. They had already given her that book.

She had already been given that book

11 They will accuse her of theft.

She will be accused of the theft

F. Indirect Passive - Rewrite these sentences as indicated below.

1. They told us she is working at the international office

We were told she is working at the international office

2. They allowed her to make remarks during the rehearsal.

She was allowed to make remarks during the rehersal

3. Nobody could allow him to play hockey because he wouldn’t keep the rules.

He couldn’t be allowed to play hockey because he wouldn’t play the rules

4. They have granted her the request to open a shop here.

She has been granted the request to open a shop here

5.They will allow you to take part in the festival.

You will be allowed to take part in the festival

6. No one expected her to answer.

She wan’t expected to answer

7. Someone gave the guide a good tip for his service

 The guide was given a good tip for his service

8. They will offer him lots of money for his discovery.

He will be offered lots of money for his discovery

9. Somebody insulted me when I was walking down the street.

I was insulted when I was walking down the street

10. They paid him ten shillings a day.

He was paid ten shillings a day

G. Rewrite these sentences in the passive form (Miscellaneous)

1. Someone gave him the wrong medicine.

He was given the wrong medicine

2. People have offered Mary a lot of money.

Mary has been given a lot of money

3. Someone has broken the glasses.

The glasses have been broken

4. The authorities are banning the traffic from the city centres.

The traffic from the city centres is being banned

5. People all over the world are learning English.

English is being learned by people all over the world

6. Someone painted the walls.

The walls were painted

7. The players are wearing new equipment for the match next Saturday.

A new equipment is being worn by the football players next Saturday

8. They must build a new bridge over the river.

 A new bridge must be built over the river

9. They ate all the food at the party.

All the food was eaten at the party

10. They didn’t leave any drinks on the table.

No drinks were left on the table

H. Rewrite as indicated below - (Miscellaneous)

1. Someone showed the child how to use the telephone

The child was shown how to use the telephone

2. They have promised Mary a new opportunity.

Mary was promised a new opportunity

3. They asked her to sign her name at the information desk.

She was asked to sign her name at the information desk

4. The embassies are refusing young people a visa.

Young people are being refused a visa

5. The doctor won't prescribe us a different diet

We won’t be prescribed a different diet

6. They will ask you several questions.

You will be asked several questions

7. They hadn't promised him a rise in the salary.

He hadn’t been promised a rise in the salary

8. They call young executives "Yuppies"

Young executives are called “Yuppies”

9. Dangerous driving is causing many accidents.

Many accidents are caused by dangerous driving

10. They built this house in 1930.

This house was built in 1930

11. They cancelled the flights because of the fog.

The flights were cancelled because of the fog

12. People have advised us not to go out alone.

We have been advised not to go out alone

13. They have told her to avoid going out at night.

She has been told to avoid going out at night

14. They should forbid children to watch some TV programmes.

Children should be forbidden to watch some tv programmes

15. We are expecting the result of the tests in about two hours' time.

The result of the tests is expected in about two hours’ time

16. You must not allow the children to see television until late.

The children must not be allowed to watch television until late

17. It will be difficult to reach an agreement.

An agreement will be difficult to reach

18. They requested all spectators to leave the stadium in good order.

All spectators were requested to leave the stadium in good order

19. The government sent a team of experts to study the problem.

A team of experts was sent to study the problem

20. The experts will have to instruct the local farmers about the new farming techniques.

The local farmers will have to be instructed about the new farming techniques

I. Rewrite the following sentences as suggested below. (Miscellaneous)

1. They didn’t invite me to the party.

I wasn’t invited to the party

2. A long noise woke us up in the middle of the night.

We were woken up by a long noise in the middle of the night.

3. I didn’t realise that somebody was recording our conversation.

I didn’t realise that our conversation was being recorded

4. They have postponed the concert.

The concert has been postponed

5. Somebody has cleaned the room.

The room has been cleaned

6. They are building a new ring road round the city.

A new ring road is being built round the city

7. They must do something about the situation.

Something must be done about the situation

8. They can’t farm this land.

This land can’t be farmed

9. They keep all their books in here.

All their books are kept in here

10. This company employs two hundred people.

Two hundred people are employed by this company

11. They made a terrible mistake

A terrible mistake was made

12. Walt Disney created several cartoons

Several cartoons were created by Walt Disney

13. They are decorating the house

The house is being decorated

14. They gave her a new car on her birthday.

She was given a new car on her birthday

15. They will ask John to go to Paris

John will be asked to go to Paris

16. We had to postpone our trip to the Bahamas

Our trip to the Bahamas had to be postponed

17. You should show Pauline her new bedroom.

Pauline should be shown her new bedroom

18. People can keep these plants at home.

These plants can be kept at home

19. They will offer us valuable presents.

We will be offered valuable presents

21. It will be extremely difficult to achieve a similar effect.

A similar effect will be extremely difficult to achieve

J. Rewrite these sentences as follows (either in the passive or in the active)

1. My dog spoilt the newspaper.

The newspaper was spoilt by my dog

2. The fish was eaten by the cat.

The cat ate the fish

3. The local authorities opened a new theatre.

A new theatre was opened by local authorities

 4. The new City Hall was designed by a Dutch architect.

A Dutch architect designed the new City Hall

5. The car was stolen in the car park last night.

Someone stole the car in the car park last night

6. They have done a very good work.

A very good work has been done

7. The President was elected last month.

They ellected the President last month

8. My new skates will be used next holidays.

I will use my new skates next holidays

9. All the equipment was repaired by the students themselves.

The students themselves repaired all the equipment

10. The damaged roof is being rebuilt by a famous architect

A famous architect is rebuilding the damaged roof

K. Rewrite these sentences as indicated below (Miscellaneous)

1. They have requested the police to stop the protesters.

The police have been requested to stop the protesters

2. Strict anti-racial politics have to be pursued by the government

The government has to pursue strict anti-racial politics

3. Millions of people have been affected by segregation laws.

Segregation laws have affected millions of people

4. The police won't arrest them.

They won’t be arrested

5. The peace league persistently condemned racial violence.

Racial violence was persistently condemned by the peace league

6. They didn't fulfil the black people's expectations.

The black people's expectations weren’t fulfilled

7. All that oppression may strengthen the black pride.

The black pride may be strengthened by all that oppression

8. Racist organisations should be dismantled.

They should dismantle racist organisations

9. The government has been warned about the situation in the Southern States by anti-racist

organisations.

Anti-racist organisations have warned the government about the situation in the Southern

States

10. Such a behaviour is not going to be tolerated.

Nobody is going to tolerate such a behaviour

11. They have asked all the spectators to leave the stadium in good order.

All the spectators ....

12. It is forbidden for children to work before the age of 16.

Children are forbidden to work before the age of 16

13. Someone showed the child how to use the telephone.

The child was showen how to use the telephone

14. They have promised Mary a new opportunity.

Mary has been promised a new opportunity

15. She was asked to sign her name at the information desk.

They asked her to sign her name at the information desk

16. The manager made him a good offer.

He was made a good offer by the manager

17. The doctor won't prescribe us a different diet.

We won't be prescribed a different diet

L. Rewrite as follows - Alternative passive

1. They say that the winters are much colder than they used to be

It is said that the winters are much colder than they used to be

2. People say Dutch cheese is very tasty.

It is said that Dutch cheese is very tasty

3. They say he behaves rather bad on formal occasions

It is said that he behaves rather bad on formal occasions

4. Everybody supposes the Wilsons are the richest in this region.

The Wilsons are supposed to be the richest in this region

5. They suggested that he should go home for a while.

It was suggested that he should go home for a while

6. People suppose that a ghost appears in the castle every night.

A ghost is supposed to appear in the castle every night

7. People suppose that you will behave like a gentleman.

You are supposed to behave like a gentleman

8. They expect you to be here by ten.

You are expected to be here by ten