Text-Exercises

The Canterville Ghost Level: lower intermediate

Questions on the text

highlight verbs in Passive Voice

Chapter I

When the American, Mr Otis, bought Canterville Castle, everyone told him that this was very foolish, as the place was haunted. But Mr Otis answered, “I come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we would have it at home in one of our museums.”

A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr Otis, his wife and their children, Washington, Virginia and the twins, went down to their new home. When they entered the avenue of Canterville Castle, the sky suddenly became dark and a spooky stillness was in the air.

Mrs Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle, where they sat down and began to look around. Suddenly, Mrs Otis saw a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and said to Mrs Umney, “I am afraid something has been spilt there.”

“Yes, madam,” said the old housekeeper in a low voice, “blood has been spilt on that spot.”

“How terrible,” said Mrs Otis; “I don't want any blood-stains in my sitting-room. It must be removed at once.”

The old woman smiled and answered, “It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the Castle. The blood-stain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed.”

“That is all nonsense,” said Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, “stain remover will clean it up in no time,” and he took a bottle of stain remover out of his pocket and cleaned the spot. But as soon as the blood-stain had disappeared, a terrible flash of lightning lit up the room and a fearful peal of thunder made the whole building shake.

Complete the following chart

ACTIVE	PASSIVE
Simple Present: Mary helps the boy	The boy is helped by Mary
PresentProgressive:Mary_____________________	The boy is being helped by Mary.
Present Perfect:Mary has helped the boy	The boy__________________________by Mary
Simple Past:Mary_____________the boy	The boy was helped by Mary
Past Progressive:Mary was helping the boy	The boy____________________by Mary
Past Perfect:Mary___________the boy	The boy had been helped by Mary
Simple Future:Mary will help the boy	The boy_____________by Mary
Be going to:Mary__________help the boy	The boy is going to be helped by Mary
Future Perfect:Mary will have helped the boy	The boy_______________by Mary

Exercises

1) Someone invited you to the party. : You were invited to the party by someone.

2) _____________________________________: Rice is grown in many countries.

3) Someone is televising the game: ___________________________________________

4) _____________________________: Reading is taught in the first grade.

5) Someone told you to be here at ten:________________________________________

6) _____________________________: That was made in México by someone.

7) Someone is going to reserve dinner:__________________________________

8) ________________________________:Tomorrow the news will be announced by someone.

9) Someone has made a mistake:_____________________________________________

10) ______________________________: A teacher is being giving.

Michigan Test

Passive Voice and Modals

1)Detroit ___ Motown in the past.
a. was called
b. is called
c. called
d. is calling
Answer a

2)Detroit ___ as the first capital city of Michigan, but now Lansing is the capital city of Michigan.
a. chosen
b. was chosen
c. have been chosen
Answer b

3)The university of Michigan is one of the best universities in the United States and it ___ in Ann Arbor.
a. located
b. location
c. is located
Answer c

4)In the year 2003, Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo, Michigan ___ with the opportunity of being one hundred years old.
a. will be celebrating
b. will have a celebration
c. will have been celebrated
Answer a

5)The five great lakes of the world ___ in Michigan.
a. can find
b. can be found
c. can found
Answer b

6)The University of Michigan and Michigan State University are famous for their football teams. ___ of them are ranked highly in the United States.
a. Both
b. Among
c. Neither
d. All
Answer a

7)Michigan has three big lakes. They are Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. ___ of them have wonderful scenery in the Fall.
a. Both
b. Neither
c. All
Answer c

8)You ___ more careful when you go to Detroit at night because there a lots of drive-by shootings.
a. might be
b. must be
c. may be
d. should be
Answer d

9)You ___ winter clothes to visit the state of Michigan in December because the weather is so cold.
a. should bring
b. would bring
c. could bring
d. bring
Answer a

10)You ___ cars on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
a. may not see
b. may not seen
c. might not seen
d. may not have seen
Answer a

11)You ___ faster than 70 miles per hour on the highway in Michigan. It's the law.
a. may not drive
b. must not drive
c. will not drive

Answer b

12)You ___ west if you want to go to Kalamazoo from Detroit.
a. must go
b. could go
c. can go
Answer a

Send your exercises to the e-mail: mgruiz@cantv.net