Passives in professional writing       

Many years ago my grammar school chemistry teacher used to put the fear of god into any student who, writing up an experiment, would use the first person in his text. The passive, he would insist was infinitely preferable, being more detached and impersonal and thus scientific. Well, I suppose things have changed since then - to some extent - and we live in a pushier world but, for those of you who feel it a good thing to avoid the boastful "we did..." with something more modest, here is a little exercise on transforming active into passive sentences.

 

Each sentence on the left corresponds to a sentence on the right. Change the active form into the passive. Type the passive versions of the verbs in the gaps, Press "Check" at the bottom of the page to check your answers. "Hint" will give you the next letter.


1 - We maintained the temperature at 22°.

2 - We developed a model based on a 4R tauopathy.

3 - We introduced a potential mate into the panda's cage.

4 - They will publish the paper in the Lancet.

5 - We will terminate the test at the end of the month.

6 - I will make the final announcement next week.

7 - We are going to announce the results shortly.

8 - I have decided that Dr. Jones will take over the department.

9 - We adopted a chemical strategy of induction.

10 - We used a chemical compound to modulate APP cleavage.

11 - A participant proposed that the meeting be adjourned.

12 - We have used a normal tau protein with a fluorescent tag.

13 - People used to attend Sunday services regularly.

14 - We followed our previously described method.

15 - We have created an international competition.

16 - They are not going to test everyone.
1 - The temperature at 22°.
2 - A model based on a 4R tauopathy .
3 - A potential mate into the panda's cage.
4 - The paper in the Lancet.
5 - The test at the end of the month.
6 - The final announcement next week.
7 - The results shortly.
8 - It that Dr. Jones will take over the department.
9 - A chemical strategy of induction .
10 - A chemical compound to modulate APP cleavage.
11 - It that the meeting be adjourned.
12 - A normal tau protein with a fluorescent tag .
13 - Sunday services regularly.
14 - Our previously described method .
15 - An international competition .
16 - Not everyone .