Personal Impersonal Passive Exercises Pdf -
| 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) |
Subject (from the that-clause) + passive reporting verb + infinitive (to be / to have been / to do)
It + passive reporting verb (is said / was believed / has been reported) + that + clause
Personal and impersonal passive constructions are advanced grammar structures often used to express general beliefs or opinions objectively. Overview of Structures
Impersonal Passive: Uses the "dummy" subject "it" and a reporting verb. Form: It + be + past participle + (that) + clause. Example: "It is said that women live longer than men".
Personal Passive: Focuses on a specific person or object by making them the subject. Form: Subject + be + past participle + to-infinitive. Example: "Women are said to live longer than men". Recommended PDF Exercises & Resources
Several highly-rated resources provide focused practice for these structures: English Lesson 15 | Personal and Impersonal passive
Mastering the Personal and Impersonal Passive (also known as "Reported Passive") is a common hurdle for advanced English learners. These structures allow you to report what "people say" or "it is believed" without naming a specific person, which is essential for academic and formal writing. 1. Understanding the Two Structures
When reporting general beliefs or opinions using verbs like say, believe, think, report, know, or expect, you can choose between two passive forms:
Impersonal Passive (The "It" Structure): This uses the dummy subject "It." Example: It is said that the CEO will resign. Structure: It + Passive Reporting Verb + that-clause.
Personal Passive (The Subject-Focused Structure): This makes the subject of the reported clause the subject of the new sentence. Example: The CEO is said to resign.
Structure: Subject + Passive Reporting Verb + to-infinitive. 2. Quick Practice Exercise
Try transforming these active sentences into both impersonal and personal passive forms: Active: People believe that he owns a lot of land. Impersonal: It is believed that he owns a lot of land. Personal: He is believed to own a lot of land.
Active: Journalists report that the fire started by accident.
Impersonal: It was reported that the fire started by accident.
Personal: The fire was reported to have started by accident. 3. Recommended PDF Exercise Resources
If you are looking for downloadable practice sheets, the following sites offer comprehensive worksheets and tables:
Scribd Collection: A wide variety of Personal and Impersonal Passive Exercises including keyword transformation tables and answer keys. personal impersonal passive exercises pdf
Academic English UK: Provides an Impersonal Passive Blog/PDF that focuses on nominalisation and formal reporting.
KSM Classes: Offers a direct PDF link with 14 practice sentences for transformation.
EnglishGrammar.org: Features a Challenging Impersonal Passive Exercise that is useful for C1-level students.
Impersonal and Personal Passive Exercises | PDF | Verb - Scribd
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."
"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." | Tense in that-clause | Infinitive form |
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.
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." Subject (from the that-clause) + passive reporting verb
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.
Passive reporting structures—often called personal and impersonal passives—are formal ways to express opinions, beliefs, or rumors using reporting verbs like say, believe, think, report, know, claim, and expect. 1. The Two Structures
When you have an active sentence like "People say that he is rich," you can rewrite it in two passive ways: Structure Type Impersonal It + passive verb + that + clause It is said that he is rich. Personal Subject + passive verb + to-infinitive He is said to be rich. 2. Choosing the Right Infinitive (Personal Passive)
The infinitive used in the personal passive depends on the tense of the original second verb: Simple Present/Future: Use to + base verb. They expect him to win. →right arrow He is expected to win. Present Continuous: Use to be + -ing. People think he is waiting. →right arrow He is thought to be waiting. Past/Present Perfect: Use to have + past participle. They say she played well. →right arrow She is said to have played well. impersonal-passive-2.pdf
The Mysterious Case of the Missing PDF
It was a typical Monday morning at the office when Emma, a diligent employee, stumbled upon a peculiar problem. She had been tasked with completing a series of grammar exercises to improve her language skills, specifically focusing on personal, impersonal, and passive voice constructions. The exercises were provided in a PDF format, which she had downloaded from the company's online learning platform.
As she sat at her desk, sipping her coffee and opening her laptop, Emma realized that the PDF file was nowhere to be found. She had saved it to her desktop the previous day, but now it had vanished into thin air. She searched her computer, checked her downloads folder, and even looked in the recycle bin, but there was no sign of the file.
Panicked, Emma tried to access the online learning platform again, but it seemed that the PDF had been removed or was no longer available. Her deadline to complete the exercises was looming, and she needed the file urgently. She decided to reach out to her colleagues and superiors, hoping someone might have a copy of the PDF or know how to retrieve it.
The response she got was surprisingly passive. Her colleagues seemed uninterested in helping her, and her superiors were too busy to respond. It was as if the entire office had become impersonal, with no one taking responsibility for the missing file.
Determined to solve the mystery, Emma took matters into her own hands. She began to investigate, scouring the company's digital archives and searching for any clues that might lead her to the PDF. Along the way, she encountered a series of cryptic messages and ambiguous instructions, which only added to her frustration.
As she delved deeper into the mystery, Emma realized that the disappearance of the PDF was not just a simple technical glitch. It seemed to be a symptom of a larger problem, one that involved the company's approach to communication and employee support. The more she learned, the more she became convinced that the issue was not just personal, but also reflective of a broader, impersonal culture.
With her detective skills sharpened, Emma eventually tracked down the PDF to a hidden folder on the company's server. It turned out that the file had been intentionally removed by a colleague, who had been tasked with updating the learning materials. The colleague had been too busy to update the platform properly, and the PDF had slipped through the cracks.
With the PDF safely back on her computer, Emma completed the exercises and submitted them on time. As she reflected on her experience, she realized that the mystery of the missing PDF had taught her a valuable lesson about perseverance, initiative, and the importance of clear communication in the workplace.
From then on, Emma approached her tasks with a more proactive and problem-solving mindset, using her skills to overcome obstacles and improve the work environment. And as for the PDF, it became a symbol of her determination and resourcefulness, a reminder that even the most impersonal challenges can be overcome with a personal touch.
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