If an active sentence contains both an indirect object and a direct object, the sentence can be made passive using either object, i.e. either the indirect object can be used as the subject of the passive sentence or the direct object can be used as the object of the passive sentence.

active: He gave her a present.

passive:  She was given a present. / A present was given to her. 

Exercises

Turning active sentences with two objects into the passive form.

  • exercise 1: rewrite an active sentence with two objects in passive voice
  • exercise 2: rewrite an active sentence with two objects in passive voice
  • exercise 3: rewrite an active sentence with two objects in passive voice
  • exercise 4: rewrite an active sentence with two objects in passive voice
  • exercise 5: rewrite (part of) an active sentence with two objects in passive voice(advanced)

Useful pages

    • exercises for practising recognizing active and passive voice
    • exercises for practising the Simple Present Passive (The house is built.)
    • exercises for practising the Simple Past Passive (The house was built.)
    • exercises for practising the Continuous Passive (The house is/was being built.)
    • exercises for practising the Perfect Passive (The house has/had been built.)
    • exercises for practising the Future and Modal Passive (The house will be built. / The house may have been built.)
    • exercises for practising the passive in various tenses
    • exercises for practising the Personal Passive (She is known to have built a house.)