Forming Passive Sentences Flashcards
Verbs can be in:
V+DO+preposition+IO
V+IO+DO
Give, award, hand, lend, offer, send, throw(=giving verbs), ask, read, teach(=telling verbs).
Alice gave us the vase.
We were given the vase (by Alice).
Alice gave the vase to us.
The vase was given (to) us (by Alice). Informal without TO.
Some verbs can’t be followed by the form V+IO+DO.
Explain, announce, demonstrate, describe, introduce, mention, propose, report, suggest (reporting verbs).
He explained me the problem. (WRONG).
He explained the problem to me.
The problem was explained to me. (only one passive form).
Verbs followed by Obejct+complement have only one passive form:
Elect, appoint, declare, make, nominate, vote, call, name, title.
They elected her president.
She was elected president.
Verbs followed by Infinitive without TO, in passive are followed by Infinitive with TO.
Make, feel, hear, help, observe, see.
They have made him return the money.
He has been made to return the money.
Verbs with two or three words.
Look after, aarry out (put into practice), disapprove of, hold over (delay), talk down to (patronise).
Ella looked after him.
He was looked after (by Ella).
Some verbs are not used in the passive:
Come up against, brush up on (revise), cast your mind back (remember), get something down (write), take after (resemble).
We came up against a problem.
No passive.
The passive exists only with some senses:
Put out, call (someone) up (join the army, telephone), call someone back (return), let in (allow into a place, allow rain, etc), let out (allow to leave, allow a sound).
They put out the fire.
The fire was put out.
I put out a hand to steady myself.
no passive.
