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Grammar Chapter 10
The passive
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the most complicated verb construction in English? | The passive |
| What are the 2 components of complex tense constructions? | a specific helping verb followed by a specific verb-tense form |
| two components of the passive/signature of the passive | some form of the helping verb be + a verb in the past participle form (if either of these components are missing, then it doesn't constitute the passive) |
| Why is the passive unique? | Because it is derived from another construction; there is a special paraphrase relationship between every passive and its active counterpart. |
| Sentences that are in the passive are said to be in the __________, while sentences that are not in the passive are said to be in the _______ | passive voice, active voice (terms rarely used except in discussing this topic) |
| Every passive sentence has been derived from... | a corresponding active sentence |
| Set of rules/ three changes from the active to its passive paraphrase (first two) | 1. The original subject is turned into the object of a "by" prepositional phrase and moved to the end of the sentence 2. The original object moves forward to fill the now empty subject slot |
| Third rule to change active to passive | 3. The helping verb be is inserted in front of the main verb in whatever tense the original main verb was in, and the main verb is changed into a past participle- |
| Is the tense of the active always retained in the passive? | YES ALWAYS |
| The passive verb must agree with... | the new subject, not the original one |
| Where is the be inserted if there is one or more helping verbs in the original active sentence? | In front of the main verb (always the right-most verb). The inserted be takes the tense form of the original main verb. We should mail the letter. -> The letter should be mailed. |
| How does the passive paraphrase differ from the original active form? | The focus ( the meaning DOES NOT change). The passive shifts the focus of attention from the doer (og subject) to what was done (og object). |
| What is an agent? | Is always the doer of the action of a sentence. In active, it's the subject. In passive, the grammatical subject is not the agent. |
| Point of using the passive | Shift the focus from the agent to what was done |
| How often is the agent deleted in written English? | 85% of the time. |
| What are the main reasons for deleting an agent? | 1. Unknown or unknowable agent 2. Impersonal entity or institution 3. Universal or highly generalized agent 4. agent withheld because it's embarrassing or awkward |
| One of the most common pieces of advice given to professional or techinal writers and why | avoid the passive unless there is a compelling reason to use it. Because it is overused in formal writing, making it sound pompous and lifeless. Good writers use the passive when there's a reason for it. |
| A common reason for using the passive | to focus on and expand the object portion of the underlying active sentence rather than the agent. |
| What is a good writing practice? | Test a passive against its active form to see which one works best. Unless there is a good reason to prefer the passive, we should consider rephrasing the sentence in its active form. |
| How do we know whether the active or passive is more appropriate? | Depends on the context and the writer's intentions |
| 2 steps to create an active from a passive. | 1. Switch the two noun phrases: move the agent into the subject position and move the subject of the passive to an object position (deleting the preposition by) 2. Change the form of the main verb to whatever tense the helping verb be is in and delete be |
| Are any verbs in front of the passive helping verb BE affected by changing the sentence to the active? | NO |
| What is the second form of the passive voice? | One that uses get rather than be. The basic principle that it must be followed by a past participle still holds. |
| Is get used the same way as be to form questions and negatives? | NO |
| What is the difference between the be passive and the get passive? | Be is a helping verb that can form questions and negatives without any additional verb. Get is NOT a helping verb so it requires the addition of a helping verb be to form questions and negatives. |
| Get and be can be interchangeable, but there are many cases where they aren't. What is the biggest difference? | FORMALITY. Get is primarily used in casual, spoken language. You would never use it in a book or article. Instead you should use be |
| Why do get passives have idiosynchratic uses and restrictions? | Probably due to their colloquial and even slangy nature. 95% of the time, the get passive is used without the agent by phrase. |
| When are get passives most likely used? | With dynamic vers, those with a strong sense of action or decisive activity (injured, caught, assigned). They aren't commonly used with nondynamic verbs (don't express action). That use is often ungrammatical. But you can switch it to be and it's fine. |
Created by:
anaidalarconsanchez