Passive form with two objects

Sentences of the type, Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object have two possible
forms:
- Indirect object + tobe + past participle + direct object + (by subject)
I was given a present on my birthday by my friend (=My friend gave me a present on my
birthday)
- Direct object + tobe + past participle + to (buy ‘for’) + indirect object + (by subject)
A present was given to me by my friend on my birthday (= My friend gave me a present on
my birthday)

The infinitive without to

In the active voice, some verbs are followed by the infinitive without to. In the passive, we use
most such verbs with the infinitive with to.
Example 1:
Active: We saw them come.
Passive: They were seen to come.
Example 2:
Active: She made him do it.
Passive: He was made to do it by her.

Infinitive constructions after passive verbs

Sentences of the type, People/They/We/… consider/know/think/estimate/feel/claim/… that
he/she/they/(noun)… is/are/(verb)… have two possible passive forms:
- It is considered/known/thought/… that he/she/they/(noun)… is/are/(verb)…
- He/she/they/(noun)… is/are/was/were/(tobe)… believe/known/said/… to verb(in
infinitive form)
Example 1:
Active: People consider/know/think/… that he is very intelligent.
Passive: It is considered/known/thought/… that he is very intelligent.
He is considered/known/thought/… to be very intelligent.
Example 2:
Active: They believe/know/say/suppose/think/… that he is living abroad.
Passive: He is believes/known/said/supposed/thought/… to be living abroad (Continuos
infinitive).
Note that if verb in clause before that is in present(past) tense and verb in the another clause is
in past(past perfect) tense, passive form must be :
He/she/they/(noun)… is/are/was/were/(tobe)… believe/known/said/… to have V_PII
Example:
Active: People said that he had moved to China and married a new wife.
Passive: He was said to have moved to China and married a new wife.
(or It was said that he had moved to China and miarried a new wife)

Passive voice with gerund

- Passive gerund: Being + Past participle
 Being served quickly is important for customers in a restaurant.
- Past-Passive gerund: Having been + Past participle
I appreciate having been told the news.

Modal Passives
According to Azar, B.S.(1999:218-233), Modal passives have the following structure:
Modal + be + past participle
Example:
Active: We ought to send this letter before June 1st.
Passive: This letter ought to be seen before June 1st.

Many stative passive verbs are followed by prepositions rather than ‘by’
Example:
I am interested in Chenese art.
He is satisfied with his job.

There are examples of idiomatic usage of the passive form in common, everyday English
These sentences have no equivalent active sentences:
I don’t know where I am. I am lost
I am finished with my work.
I can’t find my purpse. It is gone.
I am done with my work.

Imperative form in the pasive voice

To change an imperative form into the passive voice we use the construction: Let + object +
be/get + past partciple.
Example 1:
Active: Serve the best wine.
Passive: Let the best wine be served.
Example 2:
Active: Don’t speak a word here.
Passive: Let a word not be spoken here.
In the active form, we are specifically telling you to do something, in the passive version we
want the action to be done by you or by somebody else.
The passive imperative is rare and sounds very formal or old-fashion, and is not usually used in
modern English. You can find it in a book of intructions :
Let the meat be baked at 45 degrees
Or in old book and poetry:
Let my eyes be filled with your presence for eternity.

Passive forms with verbs of perception( see, watch, notice, hear, look,..)
- The –ing form is used to suggest that we hear an action or event in progress.
Active: Subject + see/watch/notice/… + Object + V_ing
We saw her overhearing us.
 Passive: Object + tobe + seen/watched/noticed/… + V_ing(by…)
She was seen overhearing us.
- The infinitive is used after these verbs when we want to say that we hear or see the
whole of an action or event.
Active: Subject + see/watch/notice/…+ Object + V_inf
We saw her overhear us
Passive: Object + tobe + seen/watched/noticed/… + V_inf
She was seen to overhear us
- The verbs see, hear, watch, notice etc., can also be followed by an object + past
participle. In this structure, the past participle has a passive meaning.
I heard my name repeated several times. (= My name was repeated several times.)

The Passive with Get

Get may also be followed by a past participle. The past participle functions as an adjective; it
describes the subject.
Example:
I stopped working because I got tired.

Passive forms with Have and Get

The passive form: Have + subject + past participle is used to talk about something we want
other people to do for us.
Example:
She had her nose pierced when she was a teenager.
Get + past participle is used for things that happen by accident.
Example:
My luggage got stolen somewhere at the airport.

Passive forms with Need/Want/Require/Deserve

Sentences of the types, Subject + Need/Want/Require/Deserve + to + Verb + Object has two
possible passive form:
- Object + need/ want/ require/ deserve + V-ing
- Object + need/ want/ require/ deserve + to be V_PII
Example:
Active: I need to cut my hair
Passive: My hair needs cutting
or My hair needs to be cut

Other Passive forms

1) It is somebody’s duty to do something = somebody is supposed to do something

Active: It is your duty to do this homework
Passive: You are supposed to do this homework
2) It is impossible to do something = something can’t be done
Active: It is impossible to repair this computer
Passive: This computer can’t be repaired
3) To recommend/suggest doing something = to recommend/suggest that something (should)
be done
Active: They recommend building a house
Passive: They recommend that a house (should) be built
4) It’s necessary (for somebody) to do something = something should /must be done (by
somebody)
Active: It’s necessary for you to type this letter
Passive: This letter should/must be typed by you
5) Imperative mood :Something should be done
Active: Turn on the light!
Passive: The lights should be turned on
6) Passive form with subject ‘it’: It + be + adj + for somebody + to do something = It + be +
adj + for something + to be done
Active: It is difficult for me to finish this test in one hour
Passive: Is is difficlut for this test to be finished in one hour

According to Coleman(1997): ‘The passive form should be considered in each of the following
cases, (A) necessity: to prevent ungrammatical, unwieldy or semantically confusing prose; (B)
stylistic effectiveness: to make the prose more coherent, elegant, economical and purposeful’.

Reference:
https://dspace.aab-edu.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/294/18-Fitnete-Martinaj-Difficulties-
in-Learning-and-Producing-Passive-Voice.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://multimedia-english.com/grammar/passive-voice-special-cases-52
https://www.englishgrammar.org/verbs-perception/
http://oxford.edu.vn/goc-tieng-anh/hoc-tieng-anh-cung-oxford/ngu-phap-tieng-anh-cau-bi-
dong-622.html
https://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/Green%20Level/G15%20Gerunds
%20Passive.html

glosary
unwieldy
semantically
prose
stylistic
coherent
elegant