![]() ![]() For example, in the sentence I broke the glass, the glass is a direct object because it is directly affected by the verb broke.Īn intransitive verb doesn’t use a direct object. ![]() ![]() Now that you know the basics of the passive, you’ll need to consider one more thing: transitive versus intransitive verbs. In example 4, naming Linda might embarrass her, so we can use the passive instead to focus on the situation rather than the person at fault.It may be more polite not to name the doer.In this way, the passive can be used to discuss production and manufacturing. We know farmers grow crops, so we don’t have to include the doer. In example 3, the topic is the corn rather than the farmers who grow it.The doer doesn’t need to be mentioned, because it is understood/implied.In example 2, I didn’t see who stole my wallet.In this way, the passive is often used to discuss injuries. In example 1 above, I hope I am more important than the car that hit me! By using a passive sentence, I focus on myself rather than the car.The object is more important/relevant than the subject.There are several reasons why we might prefer to use the passive: Active: Linda in HR sent the contract to the wrong person.Passive: The contract was sent to the wrong person.Passive: Corn is grown in Iowa (by farmers).We often omit the doer, but it can be included after the preposition ‘by’. In a passive sentence, the subject is no longer the doer. In that case, we can change the structure of the sentence to the passive voice. Sometimes we don’t want to include the doer in the sentence. For example, in the active sentence Julie ate the pizza, Julie does the action. When the subject is the doer of the verb, the voice is active. In an active sentence, the subject is the doer* or agent of the verb. The typical English sentence is structured SVO (subject + verb + object). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |