Impersonal Passive

1.  People believe that English is the most widely spoken language

1. It is believed that English is the most widely spoken language.

2. English is believed to be the most widely spoken language.

1. Police have reported  that it was Peter who caused the accident.

1. It has been reported that it was Peter who caused the accident.

2. Peter has been reported to have caused the accident.

2. A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.

3. It ________________________________________________________________

3. They _____________________________________________________________

3. The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America.

5. It ________________________________________________________________

5. Columbus _________________________________________________________

4. Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.

7. It ________________________________________________________________

7. The teenagers ______________________________________________________

5. Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully

9. __________________________________________________________________

9. __________________________________________________________________

6. The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.

11. __________________________________________________________________

11. __________________________________________________________________

7. People believed that they had killed the animals during the night.

13. __________________________________________________________________

13. __________________________________________________________________

8. My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world.

15. __________________________________________________________________

15. __________________________________________________________________

9. They believed that the horse was a present.

17. __________________________________________________________________

17. __________________________________________________________________

11.People are thinking that drugs are very dangerous.

19. __________________________________________________________________

19. __________________________________________________________________

12.They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory.

21. __________________________________________________________________

21. __________________________________________________________________

13.Ancient people thought that the stars would fall on them.

23. __________________________________________________________________

23. __________________________________________________________________

14 People consider that the team will be classified for the final.

25. __________________________________________________________________

25. __________________________________________________________________

15 Everybody says that he settled the business.

27. _________________________________________________________________

27. _________________________________________________________________

16 The reporters believed that the meeting would finish soon.

29. _________________________________________________________________

29. _________________________________________________________________

17.They have thought the sportsmen are arriving today.

31. _________________________________________________________________

31. _________________________________________________________________

18 Citizens presume that the government is responsible for the accident.

33. _________________________________________________________________

33. _________________________________________________________________

19 The newspapers are reporting that the most outstanding athletes represent their

country.

35. _________________________________________________________________

35. _________________________________________________________________

20 The shareholders thought that the group had rejected the offer.

37. __________________________________________________________________

37. __________________________________________________________________

21They say that the meeting will be held here

39. __________________________________________________________________

39. __________________________________________________________________

22The hooligans expected that their team would win

41. __________________________________________________________________

41. __________________________________________________________________

IMPERSONAL PASSIVE. KEY

   

Impersonal Passive

1.  People believe that English is the most widely spoken language

1. It is believed that English is the most widely spoken language.

2. English is believed to be the most widely spoken language.

1. Police have reported  that it was Peter who caused the accident.

1. It has been reported that it was Peter who caused the accident.

2. Peter has been reported to have caused the accident.

1. A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.

1. It IS REPORTED that they are leaving LV tomorrow night.

2. They are reported to be leaving LV tomorrow night

1. The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America.

1. It is thought that Colombus never realized that he had discovered America

2. Columbus is thought to have never realized that he had discovered America

1. Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.

1. It is thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco

2. The teenagers were thought to be dancing at the disco

5. Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully

1. It is thought that she sings beautifully

2. She is thought to sing beautifully

6. The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.

1. It was reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared

2. They were reported to be swimming when they disappeared.

7. People believed that they had killed the animals during the night.

1. It was believed that they had killed the animals during the night

2. They were believed to have killed the animals during the night

8. My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world.

1. It is thought that my parents are the best ones in the world

2. My parents are thought to be the best parents in the world.

9. They believed that the horse was a present.

1. It was believed that the horse was a present

2. The horse was believed to be a present.

11.People are thinking that drugs are very dangerous.

1. It is being thought that drugs are very dangerous

2. Drugs are being thought to be very dangerous

12.They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory.

1. It was known that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory

2. Mr. Brown was known to be stealing iron from the factory

13.Ancient people thought that the stars would fall on them.

1. It was thought that the stars would fall on them

2. The stars were thought to fall on ancient people

14 People consider that the team will be classified for the final.

1. It is considered that the team will be classified for the final

2. The team is considered to be classified for the final

15 Everybody says that he settled the business.

1. It is said that he settled the business

2. He is said to have settled the business

16 The reporters believed that the meeting would finish soon.

1. It was believed that the meeting would finish soon

2. The meeting was believed to finish soon

17.They have thought the sportsmen are arriving today.

1. It is thought that the sportsmen are arriving today

2. The sportsmen are thought to arrive today

18 Citizens presume that the government is responsible for the accident.

1. It is presumed that the government is responsible for the accident

2. The government is presumed to be responsible for the accident

19 The newspapers are reporting that the most outstanding athletes represent their

country.

1. It is being reported that the most outstanding athletes represent their country

2. The most outstanding athletes are being reported to represent their country.

20 The shareholders thought that the group had rejected the offer.

1. It was thought that the group had rejected the offer

2. The group was thought to have rejected the offer

21They say that the meeting will be held here

1. It is said that the meeting will be held here

2. The meeting is said to be held here

22The hooligans expected that their team would win

1. It was expected that the hoolingans’ team would win

2. The hooligans’ team was expected to win

Some verbs have special Passive forms:

• Make and Help

They are followed by a bare infinitive in the active, but take a to-infinitive in the passive

        Active:        Her two sisters made him clean the house

        Passive:    He was made to clean the house by her two sisters.

• Let

In the passive, let is replaced by allowed and is followed by a to-infinitive.

        Active:        The teacher let us leave early
        Passive:    We were allowed to leave early (by the teacher)

• See and Hear

Some verbs of the senses can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a gerund form in the passive.

        Active:        They heard the baby cry / crying.

        Passive:    The baby was heard to cry / crying.

PASSIVE SENTENCES

1. Shakespeare is known to be born in Stratford

2. The baby was seen crawling towards the window

3. I was allowed to go out at night

4. In the Middle Ages, the devil was thought to get into people’s bodies

5. The students were helped to finish the exercise

6. The president is being expected to be arriving soon

7. I was always made to do the housework

8. The fans’ team is thought to be arriving today

9. Peter was known to have copied his access exam

10. Lung cancer is considered to have a cure in the next fifty years

11. He was always thought to have escaped and be living in Sweden

12. An opera singer used to be heard singing upstairs

13. They were made to sit down and stay there until 5 o’clock.

14. We weren’t allowed to go into the theatre.

15. The heavy rainfall was believed to be the reason for bursting of the dam