Passive

EN Study

• INTRO
  • Agent
  • Instrument
• Verbs with two objects
• Verbs with object and complement
• Verbs which cannot be passive
• Mentioning or not mentioning the agent
• Have and get something done, need doing
• Passive get
• Reporting verbs
• Verbs with prepositions

INTRO

The passive is common in technical and scientific writing, and generally in spoken and written contexts where there is less use of personal reference, since thhe audience may be unknown, or the speaker wants to remain impersonal.

Agent

• The person who performs an action
• Introduced by by
• May not be mentioned in the sentence

Examples:

• My purse was found by one of the cleaners.
• A new road has been built.

Instrument

• An object which causes something to happen
• Introduced by with

Examples:

• He was hit on the head with a hammer.

Verbs with two objects

• I was handed a note. A note was handed to me.
• A note was handed to me by one of the office assistants.

Other common verbs: bring, give, lend, pass, pay, promise, sell, send, show, tell

Verbs with object and complement

• We elected Jim class representative.
• Everyone considered him honest.
• They made Susan James General Manager.

When these sentences are made passive, the complement goes directly after the verb.

• Jim was elected class representative.
• He was considered honest.
• Susan James was made General Manager.

Verbs which cannot be passive

• A few transitive verbs may not be used in the passive. They are usually verbs which describe a state rather than an action.
  • Become, fit, get, have, lack, let, like, resemble, suit
• Verbs with no object (intransitive) cannot be passive.
  • Arrive, come, die, fall, happen, live, occur, sleep, stay, wait

Mentioning or not mentioning the agent

Change of focus

• Jack won the prize. (focus on Jack)
• The prize was won by Jack. (focus on the prize)
• The prize was won by Jack. (if the speaker stresses the word Jack, then the focus is on him)

Unknown agent

• Two windows have been broken. (we don't know who broke them)

Generalized agent

• Bicycles are widely used in the city instead of cars. (we don't know who uses them, people in general or you)

Obvious agent

• Linda has been arrested. (we assume by the police)
• The company agreed to our request and a new car park was opened. (we assume by the company)

Unimportant agent

• I was adviced to obtain a visa in advance.

Impersonality

• A way of avoiding the naming of a specific person who is responsible for an action
  • It has been decided to reduce all salaries by 10%.
• In descriptions of processes
  • The mixture is heated to 100 degrees.
  • Then the boxes are packed into crates.

Formality

• Tickets are sold one hour before the bus leaves. (impersonal, formal)
• They sell tickets one hour before the bus leaves. (personal, informal)

Have and get something done, need doing

Have / get something done

• A service performed for us by someone else
  • I'm going to have/get my car serviced. I have/get it done every winter.
• Something unfortunate that happens to someone
  • We had/got our car broken into last month.
• Get is more likely to be used than have:
  • when there is a feeling theat something must be done
    • I really must get my hair cut.
  • when there is a feeling of eventually managing to do something
    • I eventually got the car fixed at the Fast Service garage.
  • in orders and imperatives
    • Get your hair cut!
• Get should not be used in the present perfect passive, where it would be confused with have got.

The need to have a service done can be expressed with need doing

• Your hair needs cutting.

Passive get

Get can be used instead of be to form the passive in spoken language.

• Martin got arrested at a football match.

Reporting verbs

With verbs such as Believe, know, say, think, which report people's opinions.

Present reference

• The criminal is thought to be in hiding in the London area.
• Vitamic C is known to be good for treating colds.

Past reference

• Smith is believed to have left England last week.

Past reporting verb

• Sue paid too much.
• People thought Sue had paid too much.
• Sue was thought to have paid too much.
• The thief is still in the house.
• The police thought that the thief was still in the house.
• The thief was thought to still be in the house.
• They thought he didn't live there anymore.
• He was thought not to live there anymore.

Past reference with two objects

• There are two ways of reporting with a passive construction
  • Everyone knows the portrait was painted by an Italian.
  • The portait is known to have been painted by an Italian.
  • An Italian is known to have painted the portrait.

Continuous infinitive

• Kate is thought to be living in Scotland.
• The driver is thought to have been doing a U-turn.

Verbs with prepositions

Ending a sentence with a preposition

• Somebody broke into our house.
• Our hous was broken into.

By and with

• With is used after participles such as filled, packed, crowded, crammed.
  • The train was packed with commuters.
• The difference between by and with may depend on whether a person is involved.
  • Dave was hit by a branch. (an accident)
  • Dave was hit with a branch. (someone hit him)
• Make is followed by to when used in the passive.
  • My boss made me work hard.
  • I was made to work hard by my boss.