The Passive Voice

The Passive Voice (simple tenses)

1. Make the following sentences interrogative and negative. Change the factual information where necessary:

Example: The Supreme Court is divided into two branches: the High Court and the Court of Appeal. - Is the Supreme Court divided into two branches: the High Court and the Court of Appeal? The Supreme Court is not divided into two branches: the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

1. The written statements of the positions of the parties are called pleadings. 2. After the grand jury issues the indictment the accused person is arrested. 3. American judicial tradition holds that the truth will be reached most effectively through the adversary process. 4. The first task of the judge is to preside over the proceedings and see that order is maintained. 5. A U.S. attorney is chosen by the President with the approval of the Senate. 6. At the trial the witnesses are asked to testify by one party or another.

2. Make the sentences passive:

Example: The investigator left a suspect in the room. – A suspect was left in the room by the investigator.

1. The officers wrote the report in a terrible hurry. 2. A popular vote approved Ukraine’s declaration of independence. 3. The president received the delegation yesterday. 4. Everybody discussed the new law. 5. The policeman stopped the car. 6. The suspect demanded the victim’s money. 7. They didn’t include all information in the letter. 8. Her sister committed a crime.

3. Choose the appropriate form of the verb (active or passive): Example: The capital punishment (abolished/ was abolished) in Britain after World War II.

1. A body of expert lawyers (is needed/ needed) time for consideration of a case. 2. Common law (based/ is based) on the principle of deciding cases by reference to previous judicial decisions. 3. Citizens (are chosen/ choose) for jury service through a process that is set out in laws. 4. Once the jury (select/ is selected), the lawyers for both sides give their opening statements. 5. The prosecutor (presented/ is presented) the case yesterday. 6. How the formal accusation of the grand jury (call/ is … called)?

4. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. За підозрюваним доглянуть. 2. Його буде засуджено на 5 років ув’язнення. 3. Її звинувачують у вбивстві. 4. Вони будуть покарані. 5. Його знайдуть та допитають. 6. Про цей закон багато говорять. 7. Їм наказали залишити зал. 8. За доктором послали. 9. Це буде використано проти вас! 10. Укази з економічних питань скріплені підписом прем’єр-міністра України.