Exercise 1
Practice in using the Passive Voice. Change the following statements into their passive equivalents.
Example 1. They know Tokyo is a huge city.
It is known that Tokyo is a huge city.
1. They believe doctors are always ready to help people who are ill. 2. Everyone expects the new discovery will bring positive results. 3. People say that New York was discovered by an Italian navigators. 4. They say
that according to Russian tradition honored guests are welcomed with bread and salt.
Example 2. They offered me a cup of tea.
I was offered a cup of tea. A cup of tea was offered to me.
1. They gave me a form to fill in. 2. They granted me a visa. 3. We’ll offer him by all means. 4. He has just told us a very amusing story.
Jane: I`m glad you like it. It is always a pleasure to sit here and read magazines and newspapers after a long day in the office. And where do you live in St. Petersburg, Mary?
Mary: We live in a four-room flat in a new district of St. Petersburg.
Jane: Is your flat comfortable?
Mary: Yes, it is very comfortable. There is very much built-in furniture in our hall and in the kitchen. Our windows are large and the rooms are light.
Jane: In which room do you like to spend evening hours?
Mary: I like to spend my evening hours in the sitting-room. We usually watch television there or listen to music on the records.
Jane: Yes, it is always nice to spend a quiet evening with the family.
Mary: I think so too.
а) [s] - Looks, speaks, drinks, puts, walks, coughs, helps, eats, writes.
[z] - Drives, rides, opens, stays, knows, sees, travels, rains.
[iz] - Catches, brushes, dances, rises, matches, wishes, loses, arranges.
2).
Walking, studying, laughing, playing, looking, sleeping, talking, mending, cooking,
drawing, drinking, throwing.
Swimming, shopping, running, stopping, sitting, putting, cancelling.
Dancing, writing, smoking, diving, taking, typing.
Lying, dying, trying, tying, applying.