Pdf !link! — Personal Impersonal Passive Exercises
Personal and impersonal passive constructions are advanced English structures used primarily with reporting verbs like say, believe, think, know, report, expect, and consider
. They are common in formal news reporting and academic writing. Learn English Online | British Council Grammar Overview Structure Type Example (from "People say he is rich") Impersonal It is said that he is rich. He is said to be Practice Text: The Legend of the Lost City Read the following text. The sentences in
are written in the active voice. On a separate sheet, rewrite each bolded sentence into both (a) Impersonal Passive (b) Personal Passive
Archaeologists have recently discovered a site that may change history.
(1) Many experts believe that the ruins belong to the lost city of Atlantis. For centuries, explorers have searched the Atlantic Ocean. (2) People say that the city was incredibly wealthy.
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.
(4) Historians expect that the site will provide clues about ancient technology. However, some are skeptical.
(5) Several critics claim that the artifacts were planted by a rival team. Despite this, the project continues.
(6) We know that the lead researcher has spent decades on this search. Answer Key
Personal and Impersonal Passive Exercises | PDF | Verb - Scribd
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 personal impersonal passive exercises pdf
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. Formula: Subject + be + past participle + to infinitive
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
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
2. Personal Passive
This structure also focuses on reporting verbs, but it moves the object of the that-clause to become the subject of the main clause. It feels more direct and is very common in everyday English.
Formula: Subject + be + past participle + to infinitive The cake was eaten ). However
- Active: People say that he speaks five languages.
- Personal Passive: He is said to speak five languages.
(Note: For past actions, use the perfect infinitive: "He is said to have spoken five languages as a child.")
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What is the Difference?
Before diving into the exercises, let’s quickly review the key difference.
1. Overview (one-line)
- Personal verbs: have a grammatical subject (I, she, they) performing/experiencing the action.
- Impersonal constructions: no specific personal subject (e.g., It rains; There is/are; passive with by-agent omitted).
- Passive voice: the object of an active sentence becomes the subject; agent can be included or omitted.
4. Common exercise types (with short instructions)
- Convert active → passive (include tense/subject agreement).
- Convert passive → active (supply agent if needed).
- Identify whether sentence is personal, impersonal, or passive.
- Fill-in blanks with correct passive forms.
- Rewrite impersonal sentences as personal (and vice versa).
- Error correction: fix subject–verb or tense mistakes in passive/impersonal sentences.
- Transform using “there” existential: e.g., “A problem exists” → “There is a problem.”
Part D: Contextual Gap Fill
Instructions: Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Decide whether the context requires Personal or Impersonal Passive.
The ancient city of Petra 1. __________ (consider) one of the wonders of the world. It 2. __________ (say) that it was established as early as 312 BC. For centuries, it 3. __________ (believe) to be lost, until it was rediscovered in 1812. Today, it 4. __________ (visit) by thousands of tourists annually. It 5. __________ (expect) that visitor numbers will continue to grow.
- Answers:
- is considered
- is said
- was believed
- is visited
- is expected
Part 1: The Foundation – Why Two Types of Passive?
In standard active voice, we focus on the doer of the action. In passive voice, we focus on the receiver of the action (e.g., The cake was eaten).
However, with reporting verbs (say, believe, think, know, report, consider, expect, allege), English offers two distinct passive ways to report what people think or say. These are:
- The Impersonal Passive (Formal / Neutral)
- The Personal Passive (Emphatic / Subject-focused)
Let’s dissect both before moving to the exercises.
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".
- Active: People say that he is a brilliant scientist.
- Impersonal Passive: It is said that he is a brilliant scientist.
This structure often requires specific reporting verbs such as: alleged, believed, claimed, considered, expected, known, reported, said, thought, understood.