Passive: The Basics

Make this active sentence passive:

You can easily find our contact details on the website.

(a)  

Answer explanation

Most adverbs go before the past participle. However, in all tenses except past and present simple, adverbs of frequency and adverbs like still, just, already and even go immediately before be:

Can easily be found, not: can be easily found!

Make this active sentence passive:

Thieves have recently broken into my house.

(a)  

In German cities, they often clean the streets at night.

(a)  

Answer explanation

The first clause - In German cities - is separate and stays the same, since it has no verb! There is nothing to put into the passive here. Keep it separated from the passive clause either in the beginning with a comma or at the end without one.

They sang that song beautifully.

(a)  

People have polluted the lakes in our region.

(a)  

Answer explanation

The subject is only included in the passive when it is relevant information. If it's unspecific, like people, somebody, they and nobody, we leave it out.

They've sold the house next door.

(a)  

Nobody informed me about the change of venue.

(a)  

Everybody will blame me for the accident.

(a)  

They awarded prizes to the cleverest students.

(a)  

Answer explanation

What if there are two objects: an indirect one and a direct one? The objects will usually be next to each other in the active sentence - prizes; cleverest students. In this case, one of them will almost always be a person or other living thing. This is the indirect object that you should start your passive sentence with - cleverest students. The direct object - prizes - will follow the verb: The cleverest students were awarded prizes. This is the preferred method of forming the passive with two objects.

It is also possible to view the indirect object as additional information and leave it to the end - Prizes were awarded to the cleverest students. - but the first method is preferred.

They won't offer the job to Martin.

(a)