Academic writing style

Exercise 1: Passives

Passives

Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using 'people', 'somebody', or 'they', write a passive sentence with an appropriate verb form.

Example: We can solve the problem. The problem can be solved.

1. Someone had reported the theft to the police.
2. Someone has given £1,000 to the charity.
3. Someone will demonstrate the program to the students.
4. Someone explained the procedure to me.
5. People are destroying large areas of forest every day.
6. Somebody has bought the land next to the university.
7. I hope they will have completed all the marking by tomorrow.
8. They should have finished the library by the time you arrive.
9. People expect better results soon.
10. Students should send their complaints to the head of department.
11. They had to postpone the lecture because of illness.
12. An electrical fault could have caused the fire.
13. They are going to hold next year's conference in Birmingham.
14. Everyone knows this fact very well.
15. They opened the new lecture theatre only last month.
16. You must write the answers on the examination paper in black ink.
17. They are now manufacturing this type of computer in Korea.
18. Someone should investigate the problem.

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