English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010
Lesson 52: Active and passive sentences
Unit 17: Related sentences
Part III: Getting started with sentences
So far in this book we’ve seen lots of sentences with the following pattern:
1a. The witch kidnaped Esmeralda.
In this sentence, the witch is the subject (the doer of the action); kidnaped is an action verb, and Esmeralda is the direct object (the receiver of the action). (See Lessons 38 and 39.) This word order - subject first, then verb, then direct object - is typical of English sentences. Sentences like this, with the subject before its verb, are called active sentences (or are said to be in the active voice).
Quick tip 52.1CktiP5
Sentences with the subject before the verb are called active sentences. Example: Charley repaired this computer.
What do you notice about this next sentence?
1b. Esmeralda was kidnaped by the witch.
It has basically the same meaning as sentence 1a, but with a different structure. We can see that the noun phrase the witch is still the subject; however, it no longer occurs before the verb. It occurs after the verb and following the word by. The direct object noun phrase, Esmeralda, is now before the verb. Sentences with this pattern are called passive sentences (or are said to be in the passive voice).
Quick tip 52.2
Sentences which do not have the subject before the verb are called passive sentences.
Example: This computer was repaired by Charley.
Here are some more examples of active and passive sentence pairs:
2a. My friend mentioned his excellent reputation. (active)
2b. His excellent reputation was mentioned by my friend. (passive)
3a. Nellie sent the Browns a present. (active)
3b. The Browns were sent a present by Nellie. (passive)
4a. The bird ate the worm. (active)
4b. The worm was eaten by the bird. (passive)
Test yourself 52.1
Decide if each sentence is active or passive. To help you decide, see if the subject (doer of the action) is before or after the verb.
Sample: The story was told by a great writer. passive
Getting started (answers on p. 250)
1. The landscaper was hired by her neighbor.
2. Tim chose the pastries.
3. Christine had driven about thirty or forty miles that day.
4. Little Suzie’s picture was taken by her grandmother.
5. We are cooking something for lunch.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. This investor made a lot of money.
7. He was appointed by the mayor.
8. The votes were counted by the election commission.
9. The soprano is singing a famous aria.
10. My credit card company has responded to my inquiry.
In order for an active sentence to have a related passive sentence, it must have a direct object. Unlike the sentences we have looked at so far in this lesson, the following sentences do not have a direct object; therefore they don’t have related passive sentences.
5. The train arrived late.
6. We are traveling to Mexico.
7. Harry studied.
Active and passive sentences are related to each other in a systematic way. Let’s look more closely at this relationship by examining sentences 8a and 8b.
8a. The policeman saw the criminals. (active)
8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman. (passive)
We will see that there are five ways in which passive sentences like 8b differ from active sentences like 8a. We’ll now discuss each of the characteristics of passive sentences.
First, as we mentioned in Quick tip 52.2, the subject (doer of the action) follows the verb: 8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman.
Second, the word by precedes the subject:
8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman.
Third, the noun phrase that follows the verb in the active sentence occurs before the verb in the passive sentence:
8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman.
Fourth, passive sentences have a form of be (am, is, are, was, were, be, being) before the verb:
8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman.
We talked about auxiliary, or helping, verbs in Lessons 31-36; the passive be is also a kind of helping verb.
And fifth, the main verb following the passive be is in a special form:
8b. The criminals were seen by the policeman.
You may recognize this special form of the verb as the past participle form of the verb, the same form of the verb that follows the helping verb have. (See Lesson 33.) That is, just as each of the other helping verbs has an effect on the verb following it (see Lesson 36), the passive be also has an effect on the verb following it: the verb must be in its past participle form.
Use the following exercises to help you focus in on the differences between active and passive sentences.
Test yourself 52.2
In the passive sentences below, underline the passive be helping verb and put a squiggly line under the past participle form of the verb that follows it.
Getting started (answers on p. 250)
1. Amazing results are produced by that approach.
2. Marjorie Kelly was given first prize by the judges.
3. Those words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln.
4. This actor’s suit was designed by Armani.
5. One hundred new airplanes were ordered by Singapore Airlines.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The rebels were attacked by government soldiers.
7. Columbia Pictures was bought by Sony.
8. A quick deal was struck by the negotiating team.
9. Gandhi is admired by people all over the world.
10. The Wall Street Journal is read by many company executives.
Test yourself 52.3
Convert each active sentence below to its related passive sentence.
Sample: The principal gave my class the award. My class was given the award by the principal.
Getting started (answers on p. 250)
1. The tenant filed the complaint.
2. The advertising agency presents many ideas.
3. The politicians analyze the questionnaires.
4. Flood damaged their house.
5. My colleagues complimented me.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. This law firm hired Joan’s daughter.
7. Charity helps the needy.
8. Some travelers buy flight insurance.
9. Hens produce eggs.
10. My grandfather built that house.
Test yourself 52.4
Convert each passive sentence below to its related active sentence.
Sample: The message was read by the old man. The old man read the message.
Getting started (answers on p. 250)
1. Graham is touched by her remarks.
2. The tower was built by a well-known architect.
3. The silence is broken by the alarm bell.
4. Mexico was conquered by Cortez.
5. Chinese is spoken by more than a billion people.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The sofa is delivered on time by the furniture store.
7. My finger was stuck by a pin.
8. The Tony Awards were broadcast by CBS.
9. This statue was sculpted by Bernini.
10. iPod was introduced by Apple Computer.
We’ve said that passive sentences contain the word by. Let’s compare by in these next two sentences:
9. The two bags were lost by Dina.
10. She lives by the seashore.
Although both bys are prepositions, their functions are not the same. In sentence 9, by is in a passive sentence, letting us know that the doer of the action (in this case, Dina) is following. But in sentence 10, the seashore is not doing anything; rather, by is telling us about location.
Test yourself 52.5
Each of the sentences below contains the word by. Decide if it is being used as a marker of the passive or to indicate location.
Sample: There were too many cars parked by the school. location
Getting started (answers on p. 250)
1. The trooper is pleased by the strategy.
2. The building by the bank is new.
3. He was confused by that new information.
4. This afternoon we rested by the pond.
5. The rally was attended by college students.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. They don’t want to buy the house by the highway.
7. The lost puppy was found by its owner.
8. The newlyweds were married by their hometown priest.
9. The case is tried by a newly elected judge.
10. She was reading by the fireplace.
As we mentioned, passive be (in all its forms) isa kind of helping verb, occurring right before the main verb. In a sentence that has other helping verbs as well, the passive be is always the last one. You can see that in the following sentences, where the form of the passive be is underlined and the other helping verbs are in bold:
11. The letter will be answered by McCarthy.
12. The letter has been answered by McCarthy.
13. The letter is being answered by McCarthy.
14. The letter should have been answered by McCarthy.
Quick tip 52.3
The passive be helping verb is always placed after all the other helping verbs, right before the main verb. Example: The table has been set by the waitress.
Test yourself 52.6
Underline the form of the passive be helping verb in the passive sentences below. Remember that it will always be the last helping verb in a passive sentence.
Sample: They could have been seen by the reporters.
Getting started (answers on p. 251)
1. My office is being redecorated by two newcomers to the field.
2. The stop had been planned by the tour guide.
3. Her house might have been damaged by the storm.
4. This book should be read by curious students.
5. The long awaited picture will be unveiled by the painter next Sunday.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The trash was being collected by the sanitation department.
7. You might be pleased by his generosity.
8. The Finnish runner was being overtaken by the runner from Kenya.
9. That business should have been shut down by the authorities.
10. Joseph’s car must be repaired by the dealership.
Test yourself 52.7
Each of the sentences below is an active sentence with one or more helping verbs. Convert each active sentence below to its related passive sentence.
Sample: Matt should read this newspaper. This newspaper should be read by Matt.
Getting started (answers on p. 251)
1. The tenants have filed the complaint.
2. The advertising agency is presenting the ideas.
3. The politicians have analyzed the questionnaires.
4. The author should have given a more interesting speech.
5. I might have forgotten the whole thing.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The hotel management may be building another wing.
7. Someone must have noticed this.
8. A live band will entertain the wedding guests.
9. Bad weather has delayed us.
10. Careless campers can start forest fires.
The following sentences are also passive sentences, but they’re different from the ones we’ve talked about so far.
15. The bank was robbed.
16. A landscaper was hired at last.
In these passive sentences, the by and the subject are missing. That is, instead of saying The bank was robbed by someone, we have the option of simply saying The bank was robbed, if we don’t feel it’s necessary to say by whom. This kind of passive sentence, where the subject noun phrase is missing, is called a truncated passive. Here are some more examples:
17. My dinner was prepared quickly.
18. That proposal has already been discussed.
Quick tip 52.4
A truncated passive is a passive sentence without the by and subject noun phrase. Example: The proposal was discussed.
Test yourself 52.8
Each of the sentences below is a passive sentence. Decide if it is a full passive or a truncated passive.
Look for the by + noun phrase to help you decide.
Sample: The game was lost by the team. full passive
Getting started (answers on p. 251)
1. The stories of his wealth have been exaggerated by others.
2. That bestseller was written by Tony Martin.
3. The bridge has been repaired.
4. The store is being watched.
5. We should have been warned by the contractor.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. This watch was given to me by my uncle.
7. Another pyramid has been unearthed.
8. My article will be published by a prestigious journal.
9. I am being paged right now.
10. Elephants have been hunted illegally for their ivory.
Test yourself 52.9
Decide if the following sentences are active or passive. Some of the passives are truncated.
Sample: The chef is making a sauce for the pasta. active
Getting started (answers on p. 251)
1. The celebrity was spotted at eight in the morning.
2. Tom is carrying two large glasses.
3. The old man might have been looking at his host suspiciously.
4. The company was sold.
5. The stop had been planned by the tour guide.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. She was thoroughly surprised by him.
7. I might have been exaggerating.
8. The lasagna was cooked in the brand new oven.
9. The ship is circling the island.
10. Nice things were said about him.
To enhance your understanding
Let’s compare another active/passive pair of sentences:
19a. Their aunt visits the children every Christmas.
19b. The children are visited by their aunt every Christmas.
In sentence 19a, why is the verb visits rather than visit? Since their aunt is one person, we say visits. If there were more than one aunt, we’d say: Their aunts visit the children every Christmas. So in an active sentence, the first noun phrase, the subject, controls the form of the verb.
What happens when the direct object of the sentence, the children, is before the verb, as in the passive sentence 19b? You can see that the first noun phrase, the children, is now controlling the form of the verb: we say, the children are visited by their aunt every Christmas (because there is more than one child). Even though there’s still only one aunt, aunt is no longer controlling the form of the verb. The important thing to keep in mind is that in a sentence it is always the noun phrase before the verb, whether or not it’s doing the action, that controls the form of the verb.