When
to use the passive
The
passive is often used:
- 1-
when the doer is and not expressed.
-
Oranges are grown in California.
-
- 2-
when the writer wants to emphasize the receiver of the action.
-
Six people were killed by the tornado.
-
- 3-
when the writer wants to make a statement without revealing the
source of information.
-
It is believed that she will win the elections.
-
- 4-
when the writer wants to be tactful or evasive by not mentioning
the doer.
-
Maria was given bad advice about selecting
courses.
-
- 5-
when the writer wishes to retain the same grammatical subject in
successive clauses.
-
George Foreman beat Joe Frazier, but he was beaten
by Muhammad Ali.
-
- 6-
when the passive is more appropriate than the active, especially
in complex sentences.
The
Stative Passive:
A
significant number of passive sentences in English are stative.
This means that they function more like adjectives than like
verbs. Consider the following two sentences:
- 1-
The wells were located by two engineers.
- 2-
The wells are located near the edge of the
reserve.
Even
though the verb locate appears in the two sentences, two different
meanings are being expressed. Notice that the first sentence has a
doer, the engineers, and it tells us that the doers, the engineers,
discovered the wells. On the other hand, the second sentence
does not have a doer; the sentence gives the reader the location of
the wells. There is no active voice counterpart for this
sentence.
We
ought to be aware that some sentences that look like normal passive
are in fact stative passive that have no doer and no active voice
counterpart. They function as adjectives.
Summary:
To
sum up the passive voice, we need to look at three things:
1-
what the passive voice is;
2-
why it is used; and
3-
how it is used.
1-
what the passive voice is:
The
passive is a sentence form in which the doer of the action is not
emphasized, ignored or hidden and the receiver is emphasized and
becomes the subject of the sentence.
2-
why the passive is used:
It
is used for several reasons:
- A-
to stress the importance of the receiver of the action.
- B-
to demote the significance of the doer of the action.
- C-
some sentences cannot be in active voice. A good example
of this is the sentence "I was born." We do not use
the active voice in such sentence; it would be awkward.
Think about it, "My mother bore me" sounds awkward.
- D-
when the doer of the action is unknown. A good example of
this is the sentence "Road construction will be completed
by July." Although the doer of the action is implied
(construction workers), they are not really known.
3-
How the passive is used:
The
passive formula is as follows:
Subject
+ to be + past participle + by + doer
The
painting + was + painted + by + the artist.
Note
that the by phrase is optional.
So,
you will have the task of knowing the past participle of
verbs. Regular verbs are not a problem. However,
irregular verbs can be a problem. Here is a list of commonly
used irregular verbs for your review. For a complete list, you
can visit http://www.sabri.org/irregular.html
There
are, of course, many more irregular verbs. Please do check the web
site listed above to see a more comprehensive list.
Let
us practice:
Change
the following active sentences into passive.
- 1-
I have never eaten a blue banana.
- 2-
Juan took the package to the post office yesterday.
- 3-
You should have done your homework last night.
- 4-
Someone should have repaired the streets.
- 5-
The students are using the book.
- 6-
The mechanic has not repaired the car yet.
- 7-
The storm destroyed the house.
- 8-
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
- 9-
Our teacher explained the passive voice.
- 10-
The students completed the assignment.
Take
your time, follow the steps outlined for you in this lesson, and
recheck your verb forms and tenses. Once you have completed this
task, review the answers below.
Now
compare your answers to mine:
- 1-
A blue banana has never been eaten by me.
- 2-
The package was taken to the post office yesterday by Juan.
- 3-
Your homework should have been done by you last night.
- 4-
The streets should have been repaired.
- 5-
The book is being used by the student.
- 6-
The car has not been repaired yet by the mechanic.
- 7-
The house was destroyed by the storm.
- 8-
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
- 9-
The passive voice was explained by our teacher.
- 10-
The assignment was completed by the students.
How
did you do? Very well I am sure. If you are still having
problems with the passive voice, review the lesson again. Read
the lesson slowly and apply your understanding to the exercises
provided. If you are still unclear about something, please post your
questions on the discussion board and I will respond
promptly.
Direct
and Indirect Objects:
Some
sentences will have two objects. Do not let this confuse you
in your attempts to use the passive. Look at this example:
Maria
gave her boyfriend a rose.
Let
us analyze it:
Subject
(doer)
Maria
Verb
gave
Object(s)
her boyfriend and a rose
Here
we have two objects, her boyfriend and a rose. Which is the direct
object and which is the indirect?
Remember:
The direct object is the object closer to the action.
Does
this mean that the direct object here is her boyfriend?
No,
when we say closer to the action we mean in action, not in the
writing placement.
Let
us see, what did Maria do first, buy the rose or give the rose to
her boyfriend? Certainly she bought the rose first. Therefore,
the rose is the direct object because she did buy it first, then she
gave it to her boyfriend, who is in this case the indirect
object. So, it does not matter where the object is placed in
the sentence, the direct object is the one closer to the action in
action. Look at these two sentences:
- 1-
Maria gave her boyfriend a rose.
- 2-
Maria gave a rose to her boyfriend.
In
both sentences the direct object is a rose because Maria got the
rose first. The rose is closer to the action in action.
Let
us look at another example:
The
student handed the teacher the assignment.
Where
is the indirect object? Look for it. It is the one closer to
the action, not in writing, but in real action. Visualize the
situation. The student has the assignment in her hand, then
she will give it to the teacher.
If
you decided that the assignment is the direct object, you are
absolutely correct.
If
you decided that the teacher is the direct object, then ask yourself
this question: What did the student have to do first before dealing
with the teacher? Well! He had to have the assignment in his
hand first, then hand it to the teacher. Therefore, the assignment
is the direct object.
Again,
the direct object the one closer to the action, in action regardless
of where it is placed in writing.
So,
whether I say:
- The
student handed the teacher the assignment, or
- The
student handed the assignment to the teacher;
the
direct object will still be the assignment.
Check
the frequently asked question and the quiz sections. Don't forget to
post your concerns on the discussion board.
Happy
studying
