It is done / it was

done
(passive)
Paucara Pinto Elizabeth
Reymundo Jara Hernan
Huachaca Ampuero Carlos
Guanilo Lozano Alejandro
The room was
cleaned yesterday.
The room is
cleaned every day.
Compare:
Somebody cleans the room every day.
The room is cleaned every day.
Somebody cleaned the room yesterday.
The room was cleaned yesterday.
(passive)
(active)
(passive)
(active)
The passive is:
Past participle
Past was/were
Cleaned
Exported
damaged
(not)
am/is/are
Present
done
made
broken
The past participle of regular verbs is ed
(cleaned/damaged etc.). For a list of irregular
past participles (made/seen etc.).
Butter is made from milk.
Oranges are imported into Britain.
How often are these rooms cleaned?
I am never invited to parties.
This house was built 100 years ago.
These houses were built 100 years ago.
When was the telephone invented?
I wasnt invited to the party last week.
Six people were injured in the accident
yesterday.

We say was/were born:

I was born in London in 1958. (not I am
born)
Where were you born?

Passive + by
We were woken up by the noise. (=The
noise woke us up.)
The telephone was invented by
Alexander Bell in 1876.
My brother was bitten by a dog last
week.

EXERCISES AND
EXAMPLES
Write sentences from the
words in brackets ( ).
All the sentences are
past

I


(The room / clean / yesterday)

The room was cleaned
yesterday.

1.1

(When / the room / clean?)

When was the room cleaned?

1.3


(this room / paint / last month)

This room was painted last
month.

1.4

(These houses / build / about
50 years ago)

These houses were built
about 50 years ago.

1.5


(Anns bicycle / steal / last
week)

Anns bicycle was stolen last
week
1.6

(Three people / injure / in the
accident)

Three people were injured in
the accident.
1.7

(When / this church / build?)

When was this church built?
1.8

(When / television / invent?)

When was television
invented?
1.9

(how / the window / break?)

How was the window broken?
1.10

(anybody / injure / in the
accident?)

Was anybody injured in the
accident?
1.11

11. (Why / the letter / send / to
the wrong address?

Why was the letter sent to
the wrong address?
1.12
Write sentences from
the word in brackets
( ). All the sentences
are present.
II
(This room / clean / every day)
This room is cleaned every
day.
2.1
( How often / the room / clean? )
How often is the room
cleaned ?
2.2
( glass / make / from sand )
Glass is made from sand.
2.3
( stamps / sell / in a post office )
Stamps are sold in a post
office.
2.4
( football / play / in most
countries )
Football is played in most
countries.
2.5
( this machine/ not/ use / very
often )
This machine is not used
very often.
2.6
7 ( what language / speak / in
Ethiopia ? )
What language is spoken in
Ethiopia?
2.7
8 ( what / this machine/ use / for )
What is this machine used
for?
2.8
III. Complete the sentences. Use
the passive (present or past) of
these verbs:
Blow
Damage
Clean Build
Steal
Speak
Show Pay
Make
Invent
Find
3.1
The room every
day.
is cleaned
3.2
Two trees down
in the storm last night.
were blown
3.3
Paper from wood
is made
3.4
There was a fire at the
hotel last week. Two
rooms .

were damaged
3.5
Many different
languages in
India.
Are spoken
3.6
These houses are very
old. They about
500 year ago.
were built
3.7
Many American
programmes on
British television.
are shown
3.8
Is this a very old film?
Yes, it in 1949.
was made
3.9
My car last week.
The next day it by
the police.
was stolen
was found
3.10
The transitor in
1948.
was invented
3.11
He has a very good job.
He $3000 a month.
is paid
4.1

4.2

4.3