Personal Impersonal Passive Exercises Pdf [work]

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TITLE: Structural Transformation and Stylistic Shifts: A Practical Guide to Personal and Impersonal Passive Constructions

AUTHOR: [Your Name/Institution] DATE: October 2023

5. Sample exercises (30 items; answer key below)

1–10: Convert active to passive

  1. The committee will announce the results.
  2. Someone has stolen my bike.
  3. People speak English all over the world.
  4. The teacher corrected the tests yesterday.
  5. They are building a new bridge.
  6. The chef had prepared dinner before we arrived.
  7. The police will investigate the case.
  8. Many people consider her a genius.
  9. They had canceled the event.
  10. The manager is signing the contract.

11–15: Convert passive to active 11. The letter was sent by him.
12. The rules are being changed.
13. The cake had been eaten before noon.
14. The song is sung by children every year.
15. The project will be completed next month.

16–20: Identify sentence type (personal / impersonal / passive) 16. It snows heavily in winter.
17. There were many applicants for the job.
18. The window was broken last night.
19. Someone called while you were out.
20. People say that practice makes perfect.

21–25: Fill blanks (passive) 21. The movie ______ (direct) by Spielberg.
22. The letters ______ (send) yesterday.
23. New policies ______ (implement) next month.
24. This book ______ (translate) into Spanish.
25. The results ______ (announce) tomorrow.

26–30: Rewrite impersonal/personal 26. Rewrite as impersonal: “Researchers discovered a cure.”
27. Rewrite as personal: “It is said that the city is beautiful.”
28. Make passive: “They deliver the mail every morning.”
29. Make active: “There is a solution to the problem.”
30. Change to passive and omit the agent: “People speak French in many countries.”

Time differences with infinitives:

| Tense in that-clause | Infinitive form | |----------------------|----------------| | Present simple | to + base verb (to speak) | | Past simple | to have + past participle (to have spoken) | | Present continuous | to be + -ing (to be sleeping) | | Past continuous | to have been + -ing (to have been sleeping) |

Tips for Success

Master these structures, and your English will sound more natural, sophisticated, and fluent. Happy practicing!

The rain lashed against the library windows, blurring the world outside into a grey smear. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and desperation. It was the night before the final grammar exam, and the atmosphere in the study hall was thick with tension.

Elias sat with his head in his hands, a heavy textbook open in front of him. The chapter title was bold and unforgiving: The Personal and Impersonal Passive.

"It’s impossible," Elias groaned, pushing the book away. "I’ll never understand this. It’s too abstract."

Across the table, Clara was calmly highlighting a worksheet. She didn’t look up. "It is said that you are dramatic, Elias."

Elias frowned. "What?"

"She just used the impersonal passive on you," chimed in Marcus from the next seat, spinning a pen between his fingers. "It’s a classic move. She took the active idea—'Everyone says Elias is dramatic'—and made it distant and formal."

Clara finally looked up, smiling. "Exactly. People think the passive voice is difficult. Or, to use the impersonal structure: It is thought that the passive voice is difficult."

"I'm lost," Elias admitted. "Why would I write like that? It sounds like a robot." personal impersonal passive exercises pdf

"Because," Clara said, sliding a printed sheet across the table. "This isn't just about rules. It’s about shifting focus. Sometimes the subject isn't important. Sometimes the action is all that matters."

Elias looked down at the paper. It was a crinkled Personal Impersonal Passive Exercises PDF that Clara had printed from the university portal. The header read Advanced Transformations.

"Let's look at the first exercise," Clara suggested, tapping the paper. "The prompt is: People believe that the old librarian haunts the third floor."

"Okay," Elias said slowly. "I need to change that?"

"Yes. You have two options," Clara explained. "First, the Impersonal Passive. You focus on the report, not the people. You say: It is believed that the old librarian haunts the third floor."

Elias scribbled it down. "Okay. That sounds like a newspaper headline."

"Good. Now, the second option is the Personal Passive," Clara continued. "You make the librarian the subject. The old librarian..."

Elias hesitated, his pen hovering over the paper. "The old librarian... is believed to haunt the third floor?"

"Bingo," Marcus said, leaning over. "That’s the sophisticated stuff. That’s the structure that gets you an A. Subject + passive verb + to-infinitive."

Elias looked at the sentence. It felt cleaner, more objective. It removed the messy element of "people" and left only the spooky core of the idea.

"Try another one," Clara urged. "Number five. They expect the storm to hit by midnight."

Elias looked out the window at the howling wind. The storm was already there, but he tried to formulate the sentence in his head.

"Okay, impersonal first," Elias said. "It is expected that the storm will hit by midnight."

"Correct," Clara nodded.

"And personal..." Elias paused. "The storm... is expected to hit by midnight."

"Perfect," Clara said. "You're getting it. You're distancing the action from the doer. You're making it objective."

For the next hour, the trio worked through the PDF. The exercises were repetitive, but slowly, the logic began to click in Elias's mind. He stopped seeing the structures as riddles and started seeing them as tools of perspective. This paper is formatted to be easily convertible

People know that he is a strict professor. -> It is known that he is a strict professor. (Impersonal) People know that he is a strict professor. -> He is known to be a strict professor. (Personal)

As the library clock ticked toward closing time, the librarian approached their table. She was a stern woman with wire-rimmed glasses.

"Everyone expects you to leave now," she said sharply. "We are closing."

Elias packed his bag, a strange calm settling over him. He looked at the librarian, then at his friends.

"Well," Elias said, standing up. "It is expected that we leave now. Or, I suppose, We are expected to leave."

The librarian raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "You have been studying the exercises, I see."

As they walked out into the rainy night, clutching the now well-worn PDF, Elias felt a spark of confidence. The grammar wasn't just rules on a page; it was a way of seeing the world. The rain was no longer just falling; it was said to be falling. The exam wasn't just a test; it was feared to be difficult.

But Elias? He was thought to be ready.

The Personal and Impersonal Passive (also known as passive reporting structures) are essential tools for academic writing and formal journalism. They allow writers to report rumors, beliefs, and opinions without attributing them to a specific person. Key Differences and Structures

The Impersonal Passive focuses on the action or thought itself, using a "dummy" subject. In contrast, the Personal Passive shifts the focus to the person or thing being talked about. Type Impersonal It is said that he is a genius. Personal He is said to be a genius. How to Transform Sentences

To convert an active sentence like "People believe she is rich" into these forms:

Impersonal Passive: Start with "It", use the passive form of the reporting verb, and keep the original "that" clause: It is believed that she is rich.

Personal Passive: Take the subject of the second clause ("she"), use the passive reporting verb, and change the second verb to a "to-infinitive": She is believed to be rich. Common Reporting Verbs These structures typically use verbs like:

Say, Think, Believe, Know, Report, Expect, Allege, Claim, Understand, Consider. Practice Exercises

You can download comprehensive worksheets and guides from these sources:

Impersonal Passive PDF (ksmclasses): Features clear transformation examples like "They say she works hard" → "She is said to work hard."

Passive Voice PDF Worksheets (english-grammar.at): A library of downloadable PDFs covering all passive levels from elementary to advanced. Quick guide: personal

Advanced Passive Review (British Council): In-depth explanations of "It is estimated that..." and other complex structures.

Comprehensive Passive Table (Aprendeinglesenleganes): Offers a detailed table and "Key Word Transformation" exercises for FCE/CAE levels. Quick Transformation Challenge: Active: They expect that the economy will grow next year.

Impersonal: It is expected that the economy will grow next year. Personal: The economy is expected to grow next year. impersonal-passive-2.pdf

To master personal and impersonal passive constructions, it is helpful to understand how they transform active reporting sentences (e.g., "People say that...") into objective, formal statements Core Concepts and Structures

These structures are primarily used with "reporting verbs" such as think, believe, say, report, know, expect, consider, understand Construction Type Grammatical Structure Example (from "People say Susan is a thief") Impersonal Passive past participle It is said that Susan is a thief. Personal Passive past participle positive t o -infinitive Susan is said to be a thief. Verb Tense Transformations When using the Personal Passive

, the infinitive form changes depending on the timeframe of the original action: Present/Future: Use a simple infinitive ( "They expect him to arrive soon." "He is expected Past/Completed Action: Use a perfect infinitive ( past participle). "People know Susan has stolen the car." "Susan is known to have stolen Practice Exercises

You can practice by converting these active sentences into both passive forms. You can find more comprehensive Personal and Impersonal Passive Exercises (PDF) MyEnglishTeacher or view detailed grammar tables Aprende Ingles en Leganes aprendeinglesenleganes.com Personal and Impersonal Passive | explanation and exercises

Personal and impersonal passive constructions are advanced English grammar tools used to report opinions, rumors, or general beliefs without naming a specific source. These forms are common in formal writing, news reports, and academic texts. 1. Understanding the Two Structures

These constructions usually follow reporting verbs such as say, think, believe, know, report, expect, consider, and understand.

Impersonal Passive: Uses a "dummy" subject (it) to refer to a whole situation or general thought. Structure: It + passive verb + (that) clause. Example: "It is believed that he is innocent".

Personal Passive: Focuses on the person or thing that is the subject of the belief. Structure: Subject + passive verb + to-infinitive. Example: "He is believed to be innocent". 2. Formulating Tenses in Personal Passive

The form of the infinitive in a personal passive sentence depends on the time relationship between the reporting verb and the action in the that-clause. Personal and Impersonal Passive | explanation and exercises

2. Key forms and examples

1. Introduction

In English grammar, the Passive Voice is typically introduced as a transformation where the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. However, advanced proficiency requires an understanding of the Impersonal Passive, a construction frequently used in journalism, academic writing, and formal reports.

This paper delineates the mechanics of both forms:

  1. Personal Passive: The standard transformation where the object becomes the subject.
  2. Impersonal Passive: A construction using the dummy subject "It" to report thoughts, sayings, or beliefs (e.g., It is said that...).

Quick guide: personal, impersonal, passive exercises (PDF-ready)

2.2 The Impersonal Passive

The Impersonal Passive is utilized when the agent is vague or irrelevant (e.g., "people," "everyone," "someone"). It functions to create objective distance. The subject is always the formal subject "It".

This structure often requires specific reporting verbs such as: alleged, believed, claimed, considered, expected, known, reported, said, thought, understood.