PASSIVE SENTENCES

MEETING

Passive with ditransitive Verbs

Subject + Verb + indirect object + direct object
She
handed
me

iO
I was handed the plate.
The plate was handed to me.

the plate.
dO

Passive with ditransitive Verbs

Ditransitive verbs:

allow,
bring,
cook,
hand,
order,
promise,
send,
throw,

ask,
build,
forgive,
leave,
owe,
read,
show,
write.

award,
buy,
give,
make,
pass,
save,
teach,

bake,
charge,
grant,
offer,
pay,
sell,
tell,

Passive with gerunds

I

enjoyed taking

NP1

the children to the zoo.

NP2

The children were enjoyed being taken to the zoo.

NP2
They saw him climbing over the fence.
NP1
NP2
He was seen climbing over the fence.

NP2

I found the students cheating in the exam.

NP1

NP2

The students were found cheating in the exam.

NP2

Passive with gerunds

I
avoid teaching class B.
NP1
NP2
Teaching class B is avoided.

NP2

The teacher considered presenting the new materials in

ppt.
Presenting the new materials in ppt was considered
by the teacher.

Passive with gerunds

I
denied people gossiping me.
NP1
NP2
I denied being gossiped.
She remembered someone giving her a parcel.
NP1
NP2
She remembered being given a parcel.

Verbs followed by gerunds

avoid,

consider,

describe, imagine,

delay,

deny,

remember,

resent.

Passive with to infinitives

His colleagues started to respect Tim.

S
V
to inf
O
Tim started to be respected by his colleagues.
S
V
passive V
by O

Verbs followed by to infinitives

appear,
seem,
attempt,
try.

begin,
tend,
hope,

come,
agree,
refuse,

continue,
aim,
struggle,

Passive of Subject + Verb + that

Clause
A. They say that he knows some very influental people.
~ It is said that he knows some very influental people.
B. Everyone thought that the government had shown scant
regard for public opinion.
~??
The sentence is introduced by the impersonal IT.

Passive of Subject + Verb + that

Clause
A. They say that he knows some very influental people.
~ He is said to know some very influental people.
B. People felt that social workers were doing valuable
work.
~??
The SUBJECT of the NC may be made the subject of the
whole sentence in the passive. the VERB in the NC takes
the infinitive form.

The passive auxiliaries: be and get

The cat got run over (by a bus).

James got beaten last night.

The passive auxiliaries: be and get

Copula or linking verbs:

Be;
Look;
Taste;
Smell;
Seem;
Appear;
Become;
Grow;
Keep;
Turn;
Go;
Remain;
Run;

Feel;
Sound;
Get;
Stay;
Prove;
Resemble;

Verb Constraints: Active Only

They have a nice house.
He lacks confidence.
Become, hold, resemble, suit being and having
Volition or attitude can occur in the passive.
The police want him. ~ He is wanted by the police.

Verb Constraints: Passive Only

John was said/ reputed to be a good teacher.
*They said/reputed him to be a good teacher.
He was born in Tubingen.
*His mother bore him in Tubingen.

Object Constraints
John thought (that) she was attractive.

Finite clause
*~ That she was attractive was thought (by John).
~ She was tought to be attractive.

Object Constraints
John hoped to meet her.

infinitive
*~ To meet her was hoped (by John).
John enjoyed seeing her.
*~ Seeing her was enjoyed (by John).

Object Constraints
John could see himself in the mirror.
* Himself could be seen in the mirror.
We could hardly see each other in the fog.
*Each other could hardly be seen in the fog.
The woman shook her hand.
*Her hand was shaken by the woman.

Agent Constraints
The music was followed by a short interval.
*The music was followed.
The rebels were actuated by both religious and political
motives.
???

Types of Passives
Central passives

Semi-passives

Pseudo-passives

Coal has been replaced

by oil.

We are encouraged to
go on with the project.

The building is already

demolished.

This violin was made by

my father.

Leonard was interested

in linguistics.

The modern world is

getting (becoming) more
highly industrialized and
mechanized.