1

The Passive Voice

UNIVERSITY GOCE DELCEV, STIP, FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Seminar paper in Morphology:

The Passive Voice

Mentor
M.A Snezana Kirova

Student
Petar Jangelovski Index No. 16839 Stip, December 2011

The Passive Voice

CONTENTS Contents Use Form English Tenses in the Passive Voice Modal Verbs in Passive Voice Passive Voice with Causative Form Infinitive Combinations in Passive Voice Summary Reference Page 2 Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Page 7 Page 7 Page 8 Page 11 Page 12

The Passive Voice

USE
In English, the topic or subject matter is commonly at the beginning of the sentence, and new information about the subject is normally at the end. In an active sentence, the 'agent' (the person or thing that performs the action) usually comes first and is the subject of the sentence. In the passive, the result or thing affected by the action comes first and is the subject of the sentence. The passive voice is mainly focused on the goal. We choose between active and passive because of the topic we are talking about, especially when reporting information. The other uses of the passive voice are: when the bearer of the action is unknown or obvious o I was born in 1987 when we have no interest of the bearer of the action o The windows has been broken again when the bearer of the action is people or things of general o Some verbs cannot be used in the Continuous. when we are making impersonal statements o This work cant possibly be completed today! when we are avoiding you in orders and rules o Applications must be given in Monday. when the focus is usually on events, achievements, rather than the bearer of the action o Vaccination had been used for a long time.

FORM
We form the passive using be in an appropriate tense or form + the past participle of a transitive verb:

Active Passive
Example:

Subject

Verb(tense)

Object

Subject

Be

PP(V3ed)

by

Object

John blew up that car yesterday. That car was blown by John yesterday.

The Passive Voice

ENGLISH TENSES IN THE PASSIVE FORM The Simple Present Tense

When using the Simple Present Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive
Example:

Subject

Verb(s/es)

Object

Subject

am/is/are

PP

by

Object

The movie scares me. I am scared by the movie.

The Present Continuous Tense

When using the Present Continuous Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive
Example:

Subject

am/is/are

Verb-ing

Object

Subject

am/is/are

being

PP

by

Object

I am helping Vlatko. Vlatko is being helped by me.

The Present Perfect Tense

When using the Present Continuous Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

has/have

Verb3ed

Object

Subject

has/have

been

PP

by

Object

The Passive Voice

Example: I have sent the mail. A mail has been sent by me.

The Simple Past Tense

When using the Simple Past Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

Verb2ed

Object

Subject

was/were

PP

by

Object

Example: The cat scared me. I was scared by the cat.

The Past Continuous Tense

When using the Past Continuous Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

was/were

Verb-ing

Object

Subject

was/were

being

PP

by

Object

Example: I was cleaning the car.

The car was being cleaned (by me).

The Past Perfect Tense

When using the Past Perfect Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

The Passive Voice

Active Passive

Subject Subject

had had

Verb3ed been

Object PP by Object

Example: Steven had brought the gifts yesterday The gifts had been brought yesterday.

The Simple Future Tense

When using the Simple Future Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

will/shall

Verb

Object

Subject

will/shall

be

PP

by

Object

Example: I will send the postcard tomorrow. The postcard will be sent tomorrow.

The Future Continuous Tense

When using the Future Continuous Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

will/shall

Verb-ing

Object

Subject

will/shall

be

being

PP

by

Object

Example: Mary will be attending classes at 9:00 in Monday. Classes will be being attended by Mary at 9:00 in Monday.

The Passive Voice

The Future Perfect Tense

When using the Future Perfect Tense in passive form, the active object becomes the passive subject. This is the passive form:

Active Passive

Subject

will/shall

have

Verb3ed

Object

Subject

will/shall

have

been

PP

by

Object

Example: By this time tomorrow I will have played two games. Two games will have been played by me by this time tomorrow.

MODAL VERBS (MV) IN PASSIVE VOICE

The passive form of the modal verbs follows this pattern: modal verb + be + past participle, as described here:

Active Passive

Subject

MV+(not)

Verb

Object

Subject

MV+(not)

be

PP

by

Object

Example: I am supposed to do my homework. Homework is supposed to be done by me.

PASSIVE VOICE WITH CAUSATIVE FORM

In the passive form, there is usually no agent. The action verb is in the past participle, and the object comes before it:

The Passive Voice

Active Active Passive

Subject

has/have

Object1

Verb(BI)

Object2

Subject

has/have

Object1

Verb(to-infinitive)

Object2

Subject

has/have/get

Object1

PP

by

Object2

Example: My father had Tom wash his car. My father had his car washed by Tom.

INFINITIVE COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE VOICE

Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing + Object + infinitive form their passive with the passive infinitive:

Active Passive

Subject Subject

Verb Verb

Object1 Object

to-infinitive To Be PP

Object2

Example: He wants someone to take his lunch home. He wants lunch to be taken home. Such verbs as have/let/make/hear/see/watch/feel/ observe are used in the following passive structure:

Active
Passive

Subject Subject

Verb To Be

Object PP

Verb(BI) to-infinitive

Example: He observed the cats playing.

The Passive Voice

The cats were observed playing by him

With advise/beg/order/recommend/urge + Indirect Object + Infinitive + Object, we have two ways of making the passive voice:

Active
1 Passive

Subject

Verb

Object1 PP

to-infinitive

Object2 Object2

Subject

To Be

to-infinitive

Example: He begged his girlfriend to give him a second chance. His girlfriend was begged to give him a second chance.

Active 2 Passive

Subject

Verb

Object1 that

to-infinitive

Object2 should be PP

Subject1

Verb

Subject2

Example: He begged his girlfriend to give him a second chance. He begged that second chance should be given. After acknowledge/assume/believe/claim/consider /estimate/feel/find/know/report/say/think /understand we use the infinitive construction. Simple Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive passive is the same as that of the main active verb:

Active 1 Passive

Subject1 It

Verb1 To Be

that

Subject2 that

Verb2 Subject2

(Object)

PP

Verb2

Object

Example: They assume that he gave her the flowers. It was assumed that he gave her the flowers. Active 2 Passive
Subject To Be PP to Verb (Object) Subject Verb1 that Subject2 Verb2 (Object)

10

The Passive Voice

Example: They assume that he gave her the flowers. He was assumed to give her the flowers. Perfect Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive passive is earlier than that of the main active verb:

Active 1 Passive

Subject1 It

Verb1 To Be

that

Subject2 that

Verb2 Subject2

(Object)

PP

Verb2

(Object)

Example: They assume that he gave her the flowers. It is assumed that he gave her the flowers.
Active 2 Passive
Subject To Be PP to have PP (Object) Subject1 Verb1 that Subject2 Verb2 (Object)

Example: They assume that he gave her the flowers. He is assumed to have given her the flowers.

OTHER INFINITIVE COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE VOICE

With advise/insist/propose/recommend/suggest + Gerund + Object:

Active Passive

Subject Subject1

Verb Verb

Verb-ing that

Object Subject2 should be PP

Example: He insisted bringing fireworks. He insisted that fireworks should be brought.

11

The Passive Voice

Active Passive

Subject Subject

Verb Verb

Object being

Verb-ing PP by Object

Example: I remembered my father taking me to work. I remember being taken to work by my father.

Active Passive

Subject Subject

Verb Verb

To-inf To Be

Object PP by Object

Example: He started to eat strawberries 2 years ago. Strawberries started to be eaten 2 years ago.

Active Passive

Subject Subject

Verb Verb

Verb-ing being

Object PP by Object

Example: He started to eat strawberries 2 years ago. Strawberries started being eaten 2 years ago.

SUMMARY
By changing the order of subject and object and by sometimes omitting the agent, the passive helps us to change the emphasis of a sentence from who did it, to what happened. The passive voice is used when we make an argument that should be objective as when making some scientific argument where no personal feelings or prejudice should contaminate the results of some experiment. So, the passive voice is being used when we want to turn the focus on the result and the object of the actions.

12

The Passive Voice

REFERENCES:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency, Pearson Education Limited
1999, by Richard Side and Guy Wellman