Scribd
Upload
12 views

Statives Passive Lesson

Uploaded by

fkouablan7
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views

Statives Passive Lesson

Uploaded by

fkouablan7
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

PASSIVE NOTES

Stative Verbs
Stative verbs are verbs which refer to states instead of actions. Some stative verbs are not normally used in the passive. Examples are deserve, desire, fit, have, hear, lack, like, resemble,
suit, etc.
 Steve has a beautiful car. (NOT A beautiful car is had by Steve.)
 He resembles his father. (NOT His father is resembled by him.)
 We lack the necessary funds. (NOT The necessary funds are lacked by us.)
Many stative verbs are used in the passive, however. These include verbs such as admire, adore, astonish, believe, contain, detest, despise, dislike, envy, forget, hate, keep, love, prefer,
etc.
 The criminal is believed to be in the area.
 He was loved by all who knew him.
 The matter was soon forgotten.
The problem for the student is that there are no exact rules that will tell him when to use or avoid stative verbs in the passive. Sometimes these verbs are only used in the passive in
special way. Take the verb like, for example:
 I like mushroom pizza. (NOT Mushroom pizza is liked by me.}
 He was liked by everyone.
The best way to learn about stative verbs and the passive is by experience. Read extensively in English and notice which stative verbs are, or are not, used in the passive, as well as how
and when they are used.

By vs. With Verbs with Direct and Indirect Object (Ditransitive Verbs)

By is used with the agent, whereas with is usually used to refer to a tool or instrument. Many verbs take an indirect and direct object. Consider a verb such as give, which has
 He was killed by a mob/a mountain lion/a drunk driver. two patterns:
 He was killed with a blunt object/a rifle/a single shot.  My father gave me this ring.
 My father gave this ring to me.
We can make the direct object the subject of the passive sentence:
 This ring was given (to) me by my father. (with or without to)
Or we can make the indirect object the subject of the passive sentence:
 I was given this ring by my father.

Impersonal "it" with passive


When we mention the words or thoughts of people in general, we often use an impersonal "it" structure:
 It is assumed that the user is familiar with cut-and-paste techniques.
 It is believed that Cervantes' life as a slave from 1575 to 1580 became the source of inspiration for some episodes in Don Quixote.
 It is estimated that 90% of the visible universe is composed of hydrogen.
 It is expected that the student will be able to finish all the course requirements within two years.
 It is known that ultraviolet radiation absorption generates free radicals in damaged cells.
 It is thought that Titan, Saturn's largest moon, may possess bodies of liquid ethane.
 It is understood that this application becomes a contract when signed by us.
 It was agreed that students should be encouraged to buy wireless cards with any new laptops.
 It was decided that applicants must be fluent in English.
 It was felt that the meeting should be held in a neutral country.
 In one study, it was found that spiced apple scent improved performance on a high-stress task.
 It was reported that a car had been vandalized while parked in front of the police station.
 It was rumored that he had fought with the French resistance during World War II.

You might also like