Frequently Asked Questions about the Passive
Elizabeth Siler and Lynn Gordon
1. What is a passive?
A passive is a rearrangement of the word order of an active English clause -- a clause in the SVO form. The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb. The subject of the active verb becomes the object of the preposition by in the passive sentence.
Only certain verbs can be passivized (made passive). Example:
Active: The clown amused the children.
Passive: The children were amused by the clown.
2. What types of verbs can be passivized (made passive)?
There are three types of verbs in English: transitive, intransitive, and linking. Only transitive verbs can be made passive, but not all transitive verbs can be passivized. See Formation Exercise 1 for practice with recognizing these different types of verbs.
3. What is a transitive verb?
A transitive verb is a verb that is followed by a direct object or an indirect object and a direct object.
Ex: The clown amused the children. (verb +direct object)
Ex: The clown told the children silly riddles. (verb + indirect object + direct object)
See Formation Exercise 1for practice with this topic.
4. What is an intransitive verb?
An intransitive verb is a verb that is not followed by a direct object or an indirect object or a subject complement.
Ex: The accident happened.
Ex: The children laughed boisterously.
Ex: The clown hopped around the stage.
See Formation Exercise 1 for practice with this topic.
5. What is a linking verb?
A linking verb is a verb that is followed by a subject complement (or a required adverbial). Be is an example of a linking verb.
Ex: The man is a teacher. (linking verb + subject complement)
Ex: The man is at home. (linking verb + required adverbial)
See Formation Exercise 1for practice with this topic.
6. How can I know if a verb is transitive, intransitive, or linking?
Learners’ dictionaries often mark verbs with [T], [I], and [Linking] to show this information. Other dictionaries may mark verbs with abbrevations such as v. t. for transitive verb and v.i. for intransitive verb. Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, depending on how they are used.
See Formation Exercise 1for practice with the topic of verb types..
7. How can I make a clause passive?
There are five steps to making a clause passive. Start with an
active clause with a transitive verb that can be made passive.
Ex: A foolhardy scientist undertook those dangerous experiments.
Then follow these instructions:
Step 1. Remove the subject. Move the object to the place where the subject was.
Ex: Those dangerous experiments undertook
Step 2. Insert the appropriate form of be immediately before the original verb. The form of be Êshould have the same tense and aspect as the original verb.
Ex: Those dangerous experiments was undertook
Step 3. Change the original verb to the past participle form.
Ex: Those dangerous experiments was undertaken
Step 4. Check the form of the verb to be sure it agrees with the subject. If it doesn't, change it.
Ex: Those dangerous experiments were undertaken
Step 5.In some sentences, it may be important to put the removed subject back in the sentence. If so, put by before the removed subject and put the new prepositional phrase directly after the verb.
Ex: Those dangerous experiments were undertaken by a foolhardy scientist.
See Formation Exercises 2a and 2bfor practice with forming passives.
8. When do English speakers use the passive?
English speakers use the passive to emphasize the action over the person who performed the action or to suggest that the object of the active is more interesting than its subject. The passive is often used in sc„ientific and technical writing, where what is being researched is considered to be more important than the scientist who researches it.
Ex: The first experiment was performed by a team of three researchers.
Unless there is a specific rhetorical reason to use the passive, it is best to avoid using it.
See Formation Exercise 3for practice with choosing when to make passives.