Passive Voice

1
Passive Voice
The first flight was made by the Wright brothers.
Avtor mag. Jana Kuncic, prof.
2
Form BE past participle
The farmer
has sold
the house.
(Doer of the action)
(predicator, act.v.)
(Receiver of the action
The house
has been sold
by the farmer.
(Receiver of the action)
(predicator - pass.v.)
(Doer of the action)
3
Use

• It is not merely another way of expressing
  an active sentence some ideas can only be
  expressed by using passive voice

• Even when both types are possible, they are
  not exactly synonymous there is a
  difference in emphasis.

• My father is washing the car.
• (the emphasis is on the doer of the action)

• My car is being washed.
• (the emphasis is on the receiver of the action)

4
Use (cont.)

• We may be so little interested in who is
  performing an action that we omit all the
  reference to the doer.
• This is the case when the active voice
  subject is an unknown, indefinite or vague
  person or thing (people, somebody, we,
  you, they, etc.)

5
In English, the passive voice is more extensively
used owing to the fact that the number of verbs
that can be used in the passive voice in much
greater in English than in Slovene.
Examples

• The sons were helping their father.
• The farmer was being helped by his sons.

• They blew up the bridge.
• The bridge was blown up.

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• They laughed at the doctor.
• The doctor was laughed at.

• We can depend on Jim.
• Jim can be depended on.

7
Transitive and intransitive verbs

• Only verbs with an object (transitive verbs)
  can be made passive.

My Australian friend sent a postcard. ?
My Australian friend came last Friday to visit
me. ?

• Verbs with both direct and indirect objects
  can be made passive in two ways.

My Australian friend sent me a postcard.
I was sent a postcard. A postcard was sent
to me.
8
Like Love

• Some verbs which are transitive cannot be
  made passive.

I like this place. ?
A passive form is not acceptable!!!
9
Context

• By placing the object at the beginning of the
  sentence, the passive can change the focus of
  interest in a sentence.

United were beaten by Arsenal.
We are more interested in United.
10
The passive is used in a variety of context.

• Students are asked not to use mobile phone at
  lectures.
• Impersonal statement

• My bike has been stolen.
• When agent is not known.

• Mr Jones will be arrested.
• When the agent is obvious.

• The box was opened with a knife.
• How something was done.

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Reporting verbs

• The passive voice is often used with verbs
  say, believe, know and similar verbs used in
  reporting to avoid an impersonal they or people

People say that James Willis lives in L.A.
James Willis is said to live in L.A.

• The past tenses and continuous verbs can be
  reported in this way.

James Willis is said to be travelling in
Australia. James Willis is said to have
arrived to Alaska
12
Have or Get something done (Causative)

• Causative HAVE describes services done for us
  by someone else.

Last year I had new tiles put on the roof.

• It can describe misfortunes which happen to
  us, caused by an unspecified person.

Peter had his car stolen last week. And
then he had his leg broken playing football.
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Verbs and prepositions

• If a verb is followed by a preposition and
  object, the preposition stays with the verb in a
  passive voice.

People shouted at the Prime Minister during his
speech. The rime Minister was shouted at during
his speech.