大学英语专业语法课件7-被动态Passive voice

Active sentence & passive sentence
• Passive transformation rules
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• Voice constraints
Passive transformation rules
• Transform the following sentences into passives and sum up the operational rules: • SVO pattern: • Mary killed John. John was killed by Mary • They should finish the homework at once. The homework should be finished at once. • He is likely to let you down.
Passive voice of phrasal verbs
• The “V + N + prep.” combination may have two passive possibilities: to treat the combination as a single transitive verb or to treat it as “V + O + Prep.”, and put the whole prepositional phrase after the passive verb. Compare: • He took great care of his books.
• To fetch water before breakfast seemed to them a rule never to be broken. The infinitive doesn’t share the
subject with the main clause
• Questions: Does non-finite (e.g. infinitive clause) have a subject? If yes, how to identify the subject of an infinitive clause?
Passive voice of phrasal verbs
• When used transitively, phrasal verbs can be made passive. They are mostly treated as single-word verbs and both the adverb particle and the preposition should remain immediately after the verb, e.g. • These children are well looked after. (V + Prep.) • This matter is being looked into. (V + Prep.) • When was the hospital set up? (V + adv.) • The sports meet is to be put off. (V + adv.) • That sort of thing should be done away with. (V + adv. + Prep) • Such a state of things cannot be put up with. (V + adv. + Prep)
Lecture 7 Passive Voice
What is voice?
•VOICE is a grammatical category that shows whether the subject of a sentence acts or is acted on. English verbs have two voices: the active voice and the passive voice. When the subject is the agent or doer of an action, the verb takes the form of active voice; if, on the other hand, the subject is the recipient of the action, the verb takes the form of passive voice.
Voice constraints
• 1) Not all the active sentences can be made passive. Some transitive or static verbs, for example, do not occur in the passive. • 2) Transitive verbs with reflexive or reciprocal objects do not undergo passivization. • 3) V + noun combinations which function as intransitive verb cannot be passivized.
Voice constraints
• They were finished.
Cf: They were finished yesterday. The vase was broken by Ted.
• The vase was broken.
Always in passives
• She was born in Beijing. • She is reputed to be the best singer. Note: Past participles may function as predicative or subject complement following the link verb /copula.
Passive voice of non-finite verbs
• 1) Passive infinitive • 2) Passive –ing participle
Passive infinitive
• Consider the following passive infinitives: • I hope to be nominated.
• Bob owned a house in the city. (an exception)
• These students lacked experience.
• The color of the dress doesn’t suit her. • Sometimes I dislike myself. • We should help each other. • The medicine soon took effect. • The plant will soon take root.
The infinitive shares the subject with the main clause
• It is impossible for lost time to be made up.
The infinitive doesn’t share the subject with the main clause
• His books were taken great care of.
• Great care was taken of his books. • Put the sentences into passive voice. • They never paid attention to the matter. • We must take full advantage of the excellent situation.
Voice constraints
• Consider the following sentences: transformed into passives? • Bob has a house in the city. • The auditorium sits 1500 people. can they be
Passive transformation rules
• Transform the following sentences into passives and sum up the operational rules: • SVOC pattern: • We have hammered the metal flat. The metal has been hammered flat. • The boss appointed him manager of the sales department. He was appointed manager of the sales department.
You are likely to be let down.
Passive transformation rules
• Transform the following sentences into passives and sum up the operational rules: • SVoO pattern: • John sent Mary a postcard. Mary was sent a postcard. Or : A postcard was sent to Mary • I tell him the secret. He was told the secret. Or : The secret was told to him.
Passive transformation rules
• Note: Whether or not a by-phrase is used in a passive sentence is determined by a number of factors. Generally, a by-phrase is unnecessary when the agent or doer of an action is unknown or unimportant. But it becomes necessary when we want to stress the agent or doer, e.g. • “Hamlet” was written by Shakespeare. • Or to avoid changing the subject midway, e.g. • He arrived in London where he was met by his friend. • Or to avoid the subject being top-heavy (balance the sentence), e.g. • The picture was painted by a very good friend of mine whom I’d like you to meet sometime.
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Incidentally, do you happen to know the difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED? AreWhen you marrysentences?Cf: are COMPLETE.... these passive the right one, you He has you are And when you marry the wrong one,gone. FINISHED..... He is gone. the right one catches you with therisen. one, you The moon has wrong And when Theare...COMPLETELY FINISHED !!!! moon is risen now.