English Grammar Exercises: Passive Voice and Reading Skills

Passive Voice Transformation Exercises

Rewrite the following sentences in the correct passive form without changing the original meaning:

1. I’m moving the money into your bank account right now.
   The money is being moved into your bank account right now.
2. We have received your application.
   Your application has been received.
3. Did a designer choose the office furniture?
   Was the office furniture chosen by a designer?
4. They’ll sell the business unless it starts making a profit.
   The business will be sold unless it starts making a profit.
5. How much money do people borrow from banks every year?
   How much money is borrowed from banks every year?

Verb Forms: Active and Passive

Complete the mini-passages with the correct form of the verbs in brackets:

Sarah 1 was hit (hit) in the mouth while playing hockey. She feels OK, but 2 she thinks (think) that one of her teeth may have broken. She 3 is being checked (check) by the dentist right now. If her tooth is broken, I hope it 4 can be fixed (can / fix) easily.

We 5 are painting (paint) our house next week because the walls 6 look (look) dirty. While the work 7 is being done (do), all the furniture 8 will be covered (cover).

Contextual Grammar: Bitcoin History

Complete the text with the verbs below using a suitable active or passive form:

In 2009, Kristoffer Koch 1 spent 150 kroner (about $27) to buy 5,000 bitcoins, a form of digital money that 2 is kept in virtual wallets. He then 3 forgot about his purchase until 2013, when he 4 was reminded of it by widespread media coverage of the currency.

Checking his online wallet, he got quite a surprise: the coins that 5 had been purchased for 150 kroner were now worth five million (about $900,000). Koch 6 exchanged one-fifth of his bitcoins, which generated enough kroner for him to buy a flat in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

Reading Comprehension: Online Grocery Shopping

Based on the forum replies, identify the writer for each statement:

• 1. Is dissatisfied with the online site: Phil
• 2. Enjoys the convenience of online grocery shopping: Mike
• 3. Enjoys the traditional way of shopping: Dave
• 4. Has never shopped online for groceries: Judy
• 5. Finds online shopping cost-effective: Abby
• 6. Thinks the disadvantages of online grocery shopping outweigh the advantages: Dave
• 7. Describes an innovative model for grocery shopping: Judy

Comprehension Questions

1. Why does Mike prefer shopping for groceries online?
   Because he doesn’t need to look for parking, stand in queues, or lug heavy bags.
2. According to Abby, why do you spend more money if you shop in the traditional way?
   Because you make last-minute purchases and buy more than you need.
3. What does Phil say is very time-consuming?
   Finding what you need on shopping websites.

Vocabulary in Context

Find words or expressions in the text that mean:

• 1. Do something that you have been intending to do for some time: get round to
• 2. Meeting by chance: bumping into
• 3. Unplanned: last-minute
• 4. A long time: ages
• 5. Become: turn out to be