Forum newsfeeds |  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
18-Jun-2003, 19:37
| | | "Passive" sentence structure Dear Sir / Madam
What does the term "Passive" mean when writing sentences?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely
R. Bupp | 
18-Jun-2003, 19:41
|  | Webmaster, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: England
Posts: 2,750
Current Location: London First Language: British English Thanks: 2
Thanked 36 Times in 23 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Hi there!
You can see our definition in the glossary we have on site. Here's a link to the page about the Passive... http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/passive.html 
__________________ Red5
Webmaster, UsingEnglish.com
Please note: I am not a teacher of English, just someone who loves the language. | 
18-Jun-2003, 20:46
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,137
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 246 Times in 235 Posts
| | Someone took my book. (active)
My book was taken. (passive)  | 
18-Jun-2003, 23:07
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,057
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 58
Thanked 684 Times in 616 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure In active voice the subject does the acting. In passive voice the subject is acted upon.
Active voice: Ron ate the hamburger.
Passive voice: The hamburger was eaten by Ron.
8)
__________________ ~R | 
19-Jun-2003, 16:27
| | Junior Member | | Join Date: May 2003 Country: Moscow
Posts: 66
First Language: russian Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Hello again, my dear teachers!
Let me ask you about the usage of Passive voice.
My English-speaking teacher has recently taught me that Passive voice is used when an acting person is unknown, obvious or unimportant.
As I understood it’s used if we don’t need or cannot name the person, but I’m not sure about the usage of Passive voice when the person is identified, i.e. “The hamburger was eaten by Ron”, “Bakewell church was founded by the saxons in 920AD and is one of the finest churches in the Peak District”.
I guess the first sentence might have meant: “Ron, and not somebody else, ate the hamburger”. The author of the second one describes the church and the founders are not his main thought.
Nevertheless I’d like you to give me some more comments about using of Passive voice. It would be so kind of you!
Thanks in advance! | 
19-Jun-2003, 16:38
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,057
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 58
Thanked 684 Times in 616 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Quote: |
Originally Posted by Anatoly My English-speaking teacher has recently taught me that Passive voice is used when an acting person is unknown, obvious or unimportant. | Well, that certainly can be true, but it doesn't have to be true.
Example one:
The vase was knocked over. (We don't know who knocked over the vase.)
Example two:
The vase was knocked over by one of the kids who were playing in the hallway. (We still don't know who knocked over the vase.)
Example three:
The vase was knocked over by Billy, who was being careless. (Billy knocked over the vase.)
Does that help? Is it what you had in mind?
(Waiting for TDOL to chime in.  )
8) | 
19-Jun-2003, 17:10
| | Junior Member | | Join Date: May 2003 Country: Moscow
Posts: 66
First Language: russian Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Quote: |
Originally Posted by RonBee Quote: |
Originally Posted by Anatoly My English-speaking teacher has recently taught me that Passive voice is used when an acting person is unknown, obvious or unimportant. | Well, that certainly can be true, but it doesn't have to be true.
Does that help? Is it what you had in mind? | Yes, it is! It helps indeed. Perhaps I misunderstood something in the teacher's explanations. :(
Thank you very much, RonBee! | 
19-Jun-2003, 17:22
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,057
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 58
Thanked 684 Times in 616 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Quote: |
Originally Posted by Anatoly Thank you very much, RonBee! | You're quite welcome, as always.
8) | 
19-Jun-2003, 21:16
| | Member | | Join Date: May 2003 Country: Ireland
Posts: 103
Current Location: Spain First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Sorry to put yet another spanner in the works, but if we know who knocked over the vase, wouldn't it be more natural to say: 'Billy knocked over the vase'? In that case the culprit is important. | 
19-Jun-2003, 21:35
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,057
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 58
Thanked 684 Times in 616 Posts
| | Re: "Passive" sentence structure Quote: |
Originally Posted by Lib Sorry to put yet another spanner in the works, but if we know who knocked over the vase, wouldn't it be more natural to say: 'Billy knocked over the vase'? In that case the culprit is important. | It would be more natural, but it wouldn't be the passive voice. Also, I think the "culprit" would be important in any case, but that's just my opinion.
8) | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 07:30. |  |