Passive Voice – 1 (Advanced Language practic – Michael Vince, McMillan)

•  Basic uses of the passive:
  • agent and instrument (they may not be mentioned)
    • My purse was found (by one of the cleaners)
    • He was hit (with a hammer)
  • Verbs with two objects can be made passive in two ways (bring, give, lend, pass, ay. promise, sell, send, show,tell…)
    • I was handed a note / A note was handed to me
  • Verbs with object and complement
    • Act: We elected Jim class representative > Pas: Jim was elected class representative
  • Verbs wich can’t be passive: become, get, have, lack, let, like, resemble, suit, intransitives like fall
    • You can’t say “the tree has been fallen)
• Using and not mentioning the agent
  • Change of focus to emphasize:
    • Act: Jack won the prize > Pas: The prize was won by Jack (focus on the prize)
  • The agent is not important or:
    • Unknown agent: My wallet has been stolen
    • Generalised agent: Bicycles are widely used in the city
    • Obvious agent: Linda was arrested
    • Unimportant agent: I was advised to obtain a visa in advance
    • Impersonality: It has been decided to reduce all salaries by 10%

Book Total English:

We use the passive to show that a statement is

• not our own opinion
• a personal opinion

Ways of expressing it

• It is said that
• It is believed that…
• It is claimed that…

We can use the passive to put “distance” between ourselves and the statement

• He is said to be…
• He was thought to have…
• It appears / seems that…
• It seems as if / though …
• He appears / seems to have …
• It’s asserted by…
• It is assumed that. ..
• It’s claimed that ….
• It is believed that…
• It is reported that…