Passive Voice - Exercises with Answers

Passive Voice - Exercises with Answers

Practice: The passive voice (and its alternatives)

Translate each sentence into Spanish two ways: 1) using the passive voice (if possible) and 2) with an alternate method.

Lazarillo de Tormes was published in 1554. [A famous picaresque novel]

It has been called one of the world's best novels.

It was composed by an unknown author.

The main character1 was born in the Tormes river.

His father [a miller] was exiled2 for robbing his customers.

A blind man was given young Lazarillo as a guide3.

The boy was mistreated4 by the blind man.

He was then accepted as a helper by a [miserly] priest5.

Lazarillo was not given enough food by the priest...

... so he was forced to steal bread out of an old chest6.

When he was kicked out7 by the priest, he was taken in by a poor squire8.

Both the master9 and the servant were saved by the food the boy begged10.

[The squire fled and] the boy was left alone.

[At the end of the novel] Lázaro was named the town cryer11 and ...

... he and the servant-girl of a priest were married.

It has been said that she was the priest's mistress12.

1 Main character = personaje principal.
2 To exile = desterrar.
3 Guide = guía.
4 To mistreat = maltratar.
5 Priest = sacerdote (m.).
6 Chest = arcaz (m.).
7 To kick out = botar or despedir.
8 Squire = escudero.
9 Master = amo.
10 To beg = pedir or mendigar.
11 Town cryer = pregonero.
12 Mistress (o: lover) = amante (m./f.).

Answers

Translate each sentence into Spanish two ways: 1) using the passive voice (if possible) and 2) with an alternate method.

Lazarillo de Tormes was published in 1554. [A famous picaresque novel]
Lazarillo de Tormes fue publicado en 1554.
Se publicó Lazarillo de Tormes en 1554.

It has been called one of the world's best novels.
Se ha llamado una de las mejores novelas del mundo.
Lo han llamado una de las mejores novelas del mundo.

It was composed by an unknown author.
Fue compuesto por un autor desconocido.
Un autor desconocido lo compuso.

The main character1 was born in the Tormes river.
El personaje principal nació en el río Tormes.

His father [a miller] was exiled2 for robbing his customers.
Su padre fue desterrado por haber robado a sus clientes.
Se le desterró a su padre por haber robado a sus clientes.

A blind man was given young Lazarillo as a guide3.
Le dieron a Lazarillo a un ciego como guía.
[Su mamá] dio a Lazarillo para ser guía de un ciego.

The boy was mistreated4 by the blind man.
El niño fue maltratado por el ciego.
El ciego maltrató al niño.

He was then accepted as a helper by a [miserly] priest.
Luego un sacerdote lo recibió como ayudante/asistente.
Luego fue acogido por un sacerdote/cura.

Lazarillo was not given enough food by the priest...
El sacerdote no le dio bastante comida a Lazarillo...

... so he was forced to steal bread out of an old chest5.
así que tenía de robar pan de un arcaz viejo.
así que fue forzado a robar pan de un arcaz viejo.

When he was kicked out6 by the priest, he was taken in by a poor squire7.
Cuando el sacerdote lo botó, un escudero pobre lo recibió.
Cuando fue botado por el sacerdote, ...

Both the master8 and the servant were saved by the food the boy begged9.
Tanto el amo como el criado fueron salvados por la comida que el niño pidió.
La comida que el niño robó salvó tanto al amo como al criado.

[The squire fled and] the boy was left alone.
El niño se quedó a solas.
El niño fue dejado solo.

[At the end of the novel] Lázaro was named the town cryer10 and ...
[Al final de la novela] le nombraron a Lázaro pregonero y ...

... he and the servant-girl of a priest were married.
...él y la criada de un cura/sacerdote se casaron.

It has been said that she was the priest's mistress11.
Se ha dicho que ella era la amante del sacerdote/cura.
Han dicho que ella era la amante del sacerdote/cura.

1Main character = personaje principal.
2To exile = desterrar.
3Guide = guía.
4To mistreat = maltratar.
5Chest = arcaz (m.).
6To kick out = botar or despedir.
7Squire = escudero.
8Master = amo.
9To beg = pedir or mendigar.
10Town cryer = pregonero.
11Mistress = amante.