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B2 Grammar Masterclass • 12 Minutes

Passive with Two Objects

Theme: Awards, Prizes, and Scholarships

🏆 12 Interactive Exercises

📌 How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 For Teachers:

Give students 3 minutes to review the 4 rule rows in the table below. Have them complete the 12 interactive practice items in 9 minutes and check their answers by reading full sentences aloud.

🎓 For Learners:

Read the 4 basic rules and examine the example sentences carefully first. Next, complete all 12 exercises from top to bottom, using the single bracketed word as your clue.

A prestigious university award ceremony on stage, a proud laureate receiving a glowing golden plaque and bursary certifi

⚙️ Grammar Rules: Two-Object Passives

Core Reference Table

Rule 1: Person as Subject (Most Common) Person First

When an active sentence has two objects, put the person first to make them the subject. This pattern is be + past participle + the thing. We use this most often because people matter more to us than objects.

Example 1: "The winners were sent an invitation to the final dinner."

Example 2: "The young laureate was awarded a generous bursary."

Rule 2: Thing as Subject (Using "to") Thing First

When you put the thing first, place to before the person at the end of the sentence. Use to after verbs like give, send, show, offer, and award.

Example 1: "A small certificate was sent to every applicant."

Example 2: "An honorary plaque was presented to the contest winner."

Rule 3: Restricted Verbs (explain, describe, suggest, say) No Person Subject

Only verbs that accept two objects can put the person first. Verbs like explain, describe, suggest, and say cannot have a person as the subject. You must start with the thing for these verbs.

Example 1: "The rules of the competition were explained to all the nominees."

Example 2: "The criteria for the prestige award were described to the candidate."

Rule 4: Direct Object Following Verb & Using "by" Direct Object

After a person-subject passive verb, the second object follows right away without to or for. Add by at the end only when the doer is important to mention.

Example 1: "He was told the good news by the chair of the jury."

Example 2: "She was offered a research grant by the committee based on merit."

💡

Pattern Spotlight

Look at how natural English puts the person right at the front when describing awards:

"At the end of the evening, the youngest nurse in the room was handed a small gold plaque."

Why this works: The sentence flows naturally because the person receiving the prize is the main focus of our attention.

⚡ Quick Checks: Do vs. Avoid

✅

The process was explained to her.

Verbs like 'explain' must start with the thing.

⚠️

She was explained the process.

Incorrect: Never use a person as subject with 'explain'.

✏️ Interactive Practice (12 Items)

Test your knowledge across four distinct activity types. Pay attention to the clue in brackets for each sentence!

Part 1: Choose the Correct Sentence

1. Select the correct passive sentence where the receiver is the subject: (receiver)

Unit Context: Checking eligibility for a prestigious scholarship.

____ a. She was offered a prestige scholarship by the panel because she was eligible. ____ b. She was offered to a prestige scholarship by the panel because she was eligible. ____ c. A prestige scholarship was offered her by the panel because she was eligible.

2. Select the correct passive sentence using the verb "explain": (explanation)

Unit Context: Explaining award criteria to a candidate.

____ a. The nominee was explained the award conditions prior to the finals. ____ b. The award conditions were explained to the nominee prior to the finals. ____ c. The nominee was explained to the award conditions prior to the finals.

3. Select the correct passive sentence where the thing is the subject: (thing)

Unit Context: Awarding an honor to a top student.

____ a. An accolade was awarded to the top scholar at the ceremony. ____ b. An accolade was awarded the top scholar at the ceremony. ____ c. To the top scholar was awarded an accolade at the ceremony.

Part 2: Rewrite Sentence in the Passive (Keep 'by')

4. Rewrite starting with "The recipient": (person)

Active: "The committee gave the recipient a bursary."

____ (Type full sentence here...)

5. Rewrite starting with "The shortlist": (object)

Active: "The organizer sent the shortlist to the judge."

____ (Type full sentence here...)

6. Rewrite starting with "The laureate": (person)

Active: "The board offered the laureate an award of prestige."

____ (Type full sentence here...)

Part 3: Fill the Gaps

7. Fill in the blank with the passive verb form of "award": (verb)

"The Nobel laureate ____ a commemorative plaque for her contributions."

8. Fill in the missing preposition required when the thing comes first: (preposition)

"The annual bursary was presented ____ the eligible candidate."

9. Fill in the passive verb form of "tell": (information)

"The student ____ the decision regarding her academic merit."

Part 4: Correct the Error in Messages

10. Read the message and correct the extra word mistake: (extra-word)

💬 Message: "Hey Sam! Great news! Maya was given to a gold plaque at the ceremony!"

Type the corrected phrase for "was given to a gold plaque":

____ (Type correct phrase...)

11. Correct the unnatural passive usage: (natural-use)

💬 Message: "Hi Ben! A secret story was told to us by the winner."

In natural English, stories/news use the person as subject with 'tell'. Rewrite starting with "We":

____ (Type sentence starting with 'We'... )

12. Correct the verb rule error: (verb-rule)

💬 Message: "Hi Alex! The candidate was suggested a new research bursary."

Verbs like 'suggest' cannot have a person as subject. Rewrite starting with "A new research bursary":

____ (Type full corrected sentence...)

🎉 Great Job Completing the Lesson!

You've mastered two-object passive forms for B2 English. Remember: person-first passives are most natural, and verbs like explain or suggest always keep the thing first!

Passive with Two Objects

Passive with Two Objects

📌 How to use this lesson

⚙️ Grammar Rules: Two-Object Passives

Pattern Spotlight

⚡ Quick Checks: Do vs. Avoid

✏️ Interactive Practice (12 Items)

Part 1: Choose the Correct Sentence

Part 2: Rewrite Sentence in the Passive (Keep 'by')

Part 3: Fill the Gaps

Part 4: Correct the Error in Messages

🎉 Great Job Completing the Lesson!

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