Advanced English learners often struggle with reporting structures. Changing active sentences into the passive voice gets complicated when using verbs of saying, thinking, or believing. These structures are known as the and the Impersonal Passive .
that the empire fell due to internal corruption. Part 2: Personal Passive
that the repair costs will exceed ten thousand dollars.
Even today, local fishermen tell stories of strange lights beneath the waves. (3) They report that these lights appear every full moon. The discovery has sparked international interest. personal impersonal passive exercises pdf
Tip for Teachers and Students: Copy this section into a text editor and save/print as a PDF for offline practice. Part A: Active to Impersonal Passive
In standard active sentences, the subject performs the action ( People say that coffee is delicious ). The passive voice, however, shifts the focus to the recipient of the action. The "personal" and "impersonal" passive are special forms of passive voice used 8.
are written in the active voice. On a separate sheet, rewrite each bolded sentence into both (a) Impersonal Passive (b) Personal Passive that the empire fell due to internal corruption
They will complete the project next month.
When reporting general beliefs or opinions using verbs like say, believe, think, report, know, or expect , you can choose between two passive forms:
Clara finally looked up, smiling. "Exactly. People think the passive voice is difficult. Or, to use the impersonal structure: " (3) They report that these lights appear every full moon
"Yes. You have two options," Clara explained. "First, the Impersonal Passive. You focus on the report, not the people. You say: "
Mastering personal, impersonal, and passive voice is essential for effective communication in English. With our comprehensive PDF resource, you'll have access to a wealth of exercises and explanations to help you improve your writing and speaking skills. Download our PDF resource today and start practicing your personal, impersonal, and passive exercises!
the suspect left the country. / The suspect is claimed to have left the country.
British Council LearnEnglish : Detailed review of advanced passive structures.
This structure allows you to remove the vague agent ( people, they, someone ) and create a passive sentence focusing on the information.