Ex. 33. Express in the passive the second of each of the following pairs of sentences. Do not mention the active subjects. The first two sentences are done for you.

Ex. 33. Express in the passive the second of each of the following pairs of sentences. Do not mention the active subjects. The first two sentences are done for you.

Examples: 1. He seldom keeps his promise. No one can rely on him. He can’t be relied on.

2. He’s very sensitive. He doesn’t like people to laugh at him. He doesn’t like to be laughed at.

1. The child is very ill. Someone must send for the doctor.

2. The old car is in excellent condition. The owner has looked after it very well.

3. He was speaking for two hours. The people listened to him in complete silence.

4. She is going into hospital tomorrow. The doctors and nurses will take good care of her.

5. This little boy is always dirty. No one looks after him properly.

6. She is always breaking things in the kitchen. Someone must speak to her about her carelessness.

7. He’s sensible man. People listen to his advise carefully.

8. The dentist said her teeth were very bad. No one had taken care of them.

9. He never broke a promise in his life. People could always rely on him.

10.Shakespeare was born more than 400 years ago. People look upon him as the greatest of English poets.

 

 

3. THE PASSIVE WITH GET

 

We sometimes use get in the passive rather than be:

Lots of postmen get bitten by dogs.

How did the painting get damaged?

I’m always getting chosen for the unpleasant jobs.

We use get mainly in informal English. We use get to emphasise action or change. We often use it for something happening by accident, unexpectedly, or in an unplanned way.

We also use get in idiomatic expressions, e.g. get washed, get dressed (changed), get engaged (married/divorced), get started.

 

Ex. 34. Look at these newspaper headlines and tell your friend what’s in the news. Use the passive with get in the present perfect (e.g. has got) or the present continuous (e.g. are getting).

E.g.: Post office loses important document

You: An important document has got lost.

1. Heavy lorries damaging motor ways

You: The motorways _______________________

2. Vandals knock wall down

You: A wall ______________________________

3. Storm blows off roof

You: A roof ______________________________

4. Companies paying industrial workers higher wages

You: Industrial workers _____________________

 

Ex. 35. Complete the sentences. If possible, use a tense of the verb get. Otherwise use the verb be.

1. I never found that book we were looking for. It ____ lost when we moved house

2. After the way he behaved last time he went to their house it’s unlikely he ____ asked there again.

3. Naturally this vase is expensive. After all, it ____ believed to be over three hundred years old.

4. I phoned to explain what had happened but I ____ cut off before I could finish.

5. There isn’t any cheese left; it ____ eaten by the children.

6. He was a well-known expert on animal diseases and his opinions ____ greatly respected.

7. The competition is stiff and be thrilled if her design ____ chosen.

8. The book ____ torn when the children started fighting over who should read it first.

9. Please don’t touch anything on my desk. You ____ employed to answer the telephone, not to tidy the office.

10.She was quite friendly at first, then she ____ promoted and she doesn’t care about us any more.

 

Ex. 36. Complete the sentences by using an appropriate form of get and the given verbs.

E.g.: I think I’ll stop working. I ____ (tire).

I think I’ll stop working. I am getting tired.

1. There was an accident, but nobody ____ (hurt).

2. We didn’t have a map, so we ____ (lose).

3. We can’t leave as soon as you ____ (dress).

4. When you ____ (marry).

5. How long did it take you to ____ (accustom) to living here?

6. Sam was supposed to be home an hour ago, but he still isn’t here. I____ (worry).

7. Just try to take it easy. Don’t ____ (upset).

8. I ____ (confuse) because everybody gave me different advice.

9. We can’t leave as soon as I ____ (do) with his work.

10. Chris ____ (depress) when she lost her job, so I tried to cheer her up.

11. You ____ (invite) to the party?

12. I ____ (bore), so I didn’t stay for the end of the movie.

13. I’ll be ready to leave as soon as I ____ (pack).

14. I ____ (pay) on I’ll give you the money I owe you next Friday. Okay?

15. After Ed graduated he ____ (hire) by an engineering firm.

16. But later he ____ (fire) because he didn’t do his work.

17. Last night I ____ (finish, not) with my homework until after midnight.

18. I ____ (disgust) and left because the things they were saying at the meeting were ridiculous.

19. First, they ____ (engage). Then, they ____ (marry). Later, they ____ (divorce). Finally, they ____ (remarry). Today they are very happy.

 

Ex. 37. Create sentences with get and the given words.

Confused

married

done

excited

scared

dressed

finished

lost

hurt

cheated

bored

elected

worried

prepared

wrinkled

 

 

4. PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH AND WITHOUT BY

In a passive sentences we mentioned the agent, the person or thing doing action, only if it is important. We do not mention the agent when:

 

1. the agent does not add any new information:

The money was stolen.

The men were arrested last night.

We do not need to say that the money was stolen by a thiefor that the men were arrested by the police.

 

2. the agent is not important:

The streets are cleaned every day.

Oil has been discovered in Bavaria.

Who discovered the oil is less important than the fact that it is there.

 

3. it is difficult to say who the agent is:

This kind of jacket is considered very smart.

A number of attempts have been made to the Loch Ness monster.

Empty subject (you, they, people etc.)

 

We can use an ‘empty subject’ such as you, one, they, people or someone. We can sometimes use them instead of the passive, especially in conversation. Compare:

 

ACTIVE

You/One should check the details.

They’re increasing the rents.

People use this footpath every day.

Someone took my purse.

PASSIVE

The details should be checked.

The rents are being increased.

This footpath is used every day.

My purse was taken.