Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Groups › Passive › Receiver as Subject
"Patient" as the Subject
Focus on the person or thing that undergoes the action
Compare the Points of View (perspectives)
MOTHER: the personal birthing experience is the focus¹ of this narration; active voice
Last night, I gave birth to a baby girl at home with the help of my doctor. She weighed nine pounds After the birth, I held her in my arms. I showed her to my family. I was relieved¹ that my baby was healthy. I received flowers and gifts for the baby.
THE FATHER: the new baby is the focus of this narration; passive voice
Last night, my daughter was born. The baby girl was delivered with the help of a doctor. She weighed nine pounds. The baby girl was placed in her mother's arms soon after the birth and then given to me a little later. She was checked by the doctor and found to be in good health.
DOCTOR: the delivery experience is the focus of this narration; active voice
Last night, I delivered a baby girl. The infant weighed nine pounds and ten ounces—big! I examined the baby and I found her to be in good health. After the birth, I left the baby in the care of her parents, and I registered the birth for them.
SISTER: the (mother) sister is the focus of this narration; active voice
Last night, my sister had her baby girl. She gave birth at home with the help of her doctor. Her baby weighed nine pounds. My sister held her newborn baby soon after the birth. She proudly showed us her new baby. She was relieved that her baby was healthy. She received flowers and gifts for the baby.
¹focus (N) – center of interest or attention; spotlight; (V) to make or position as the center of interest (He focused his camera on a hummingbird.)
²relieve (V) — free from anxiety, ease from worry or pain
Active vs. Passive
| ACTIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
In an active clause, the focus is on the person or thing that takes action. The doer or agent occupies the subject position of the clause, and the person or thing that undergoes the action, the patient, is placed after the verb in the object position. |
||
| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | OBJECT COMPLEMENT |
| AGENT | ACTIVE VERB | PATIENT |
| NOUN PHRASE | VERB PHRASE | NOUN PHRASE |
My sister |
had (~bore) |
a baby. |
A doctor |
helped |
her. |
The parents |
invited |
us for a short visit. |
We |
brought |
them gifts. [receiver / patient] |
The little baby |
delighted |
everyone. |
A birth |
happens |
(in my family.)
|
| PASSIVE | ||
|---|---|---|
In writing or speaking, we use the passive to change the focus to a particular person or topic. When the patient is the focus, the verb is marked with a passive verb form. If needed, the agent can be included in a by-phrase. It is optional (opt.). |
||
| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | COMPLEMENTS |
| PATIENT | PASSIVE VERB | AGENT |
| NOUN PHRASE | VERB PHRASE | PREP PHRASE(S) |
An infant |
was born |
(to my sister.) (optional, not needed) |
She |
was helped |
(by the doctor.) |
We |
were invited |
(by the parents.) |
Gifts
|
were brought |
to them (by us.) |
Everyone |
was delighted
|
(by the little baby.) |
A birth |
was happened |
|
infant (N) – baby, newborn, neonate
Complements – in grammar, are words, phrases or clauses that complete the meaning of another element in the clause. In some cases, the complement is required in order to make sense. In other cases, the complement is not absolutely required but adds important modifying information.
Never Passive: some verbs do not accept complements (objects), for example, He smiled. He fell. He arrived. For this reason, they cannot be passivized. Intransitive Verbs
Two Passives: some verbs are complemented by both a direct object and indirect object; for example, Jack brought [Jane] [some water]. For his reason, the passive can be worded in two ways: Jane was brought some water. Some water was brought to Jane. Ditransitive Verbs
RELATED GRAMMAR TERMS
Semantic roles: (meanings)
agent—the person or thing that takes action to do something. (He sang a song for them. The wind blew the leaves.)
patient ("theme")—the person or thing that is affected by the action denoted by the predicate. The thing acted upon. (He sang a song for them..)
beneficiary—the person (or entity) that receives the benefit or enjoyment of the action. (He sang them a song. He sang a song for them.)
recipient—the person (or entity) that is the receiver or endpoint of the action. (He sang her a song. He sang a song to her. )
Functions: (uses)
direct object (DO) — (usually a noun phrase) the person or entity (thing, concept, etc.) that undergoes the action expressed by the predicate. (He sang a song.)
indirect object (IO) — (usually a noun phrase) the people or things that carry the semantic role (meaning) of goal (location), recipient (receiver), beneficiary of (one who receives the benefit of or enjoyment) an action or event. goal—The teacher sent the students home. [to]; recipient—The teacher gave Jason a book. [to]; beneficiary—The teacher saved Jason a book. [for]
Verbs types:
dynamic verb – a verb in which an action takes place (not a static verb or copula)
static verb – (stative verb) a verb that is not dynamic; no action takes place (e.g., be, seem, appear, etc.)
intransitive verb – a verb that does not take an object as its complement (and cannot be passive). (e.g., He lies down.)
transitive verb – a verb that takes an object as its complement. (e.g., He lay the baby down.)
The passive is used when:
- the "patient" (object or indirect object) is the focus
- the agents are too many to list
- the agent(s) is/ are unknown
- the agent is not specific (everyone in general)
- the agent is secret / not being revealed
Passive Forms
Be + Past Participle
Passive Verb Forms
| ACTIVE |
|---|
| PRESENT |
We send gifts to new parents. |
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
We are sending our best wishes. |
| PRESENT PERFECT |
We have sent flowers daily. |
| PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE |
The parents have been sending pictures all day. |
| PAST |
My brother sent (them) a car seat. |
| PAST PROGRESSIVE |
Friends were sending baby clothes. |
| PAST PERFECT |
The parents had sent a message before the baby's birth. |
| FUTURE |
The parents will send a baby announcement to friends. |
| BE GOING |
The grandparents are also going to send gifts. |
| FUTURE PROGRESSIVE |
The mother will be sending pictures (to us) soon. |
| FUTURE PERFECT |
Everyone will have heard the news within minutes. |
| INFINITIVE CLAUSE |
The father intends [to help the new mother a lot]. |
| GERUND PHRASE |
Friends suggest [calling them] if the parents need help. |
| PASSIVE |
|---|
| PRESENT |
New parents are sent gifts (by us.) |
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
Best wishes are being sent. |
| PRESENT PERFECT |
Flowers have been sent daily. |
| PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE |
*Pictures have been being¹ sent sent all day. [not used] Pictures have been sent to us throughout the day. |
| PAST |
A car seat was sent (to them) by my brother. |
| PAST PROGRESSIVE |
Baby clothes were being sent by friends. |
| PAST PERFECT |
A message had been sent immediately before the baby's birth. |
| FUTURE |
A baby announcement will be sent to friends (by the parents.) |
| BE GOING |
Gifts are also going to be sent by the grandparents. |
| FUTURE |
*Pictures will be being¹ sent (to us) soon. [not used] |
| FUTURE PERFECT |
The news will have been heard by everyone within minutes. |
| INFINITIVE CLAUSE |
The mother hopes [to be helped] by the father. |
| GERUND PHRASE |
*Friends suggest [being called] if help is needed (the new parents.) |
¹ Complicated progressive verb forms are not used in passive.
*not used
Related pages Future Progressive, Future Perfect, Future Perfect – Passive
Passive Sentences
Singular – Plural
Singular vs. Plural Agreement
| SINGULAR |
|---|
Use a singular verb form (is, was, has been) with a singular subject. |
| PRESENT |
His brother is invited. |
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
His brother is being invited. |
| PAST |
His brother was invited. |
| PAST PROGRESSIVE |
His brother was being invited. |
| PRESENT PERFECT |
His brother has been invited. |
| PLURAL |
|---|
Use a plural verb form (are, were, have been) with a plural subject . |
| PRESENT |
His brother and I are invited. |
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
His brother and I are being invited. |
| PAST |
His brother and I were invited. |
| PAST PROGRESSIVE |
His brother and I were being invited. |
| PRESENT PERFECT |
His brother and I have been invited. |
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
Martha has been inviting Jack. *Jack has been being invited by Martha. There is no passive equivalent for past perfect progressive. |
A taxi picked up Jack after dinner. Jack was pick upped after dinner. The suffix was applied to the preposition instead of the verb. |
We saw that the bees were died. The verb is intransitive (does not take an object) so passive cannot be used.
|
| SOLUTION |
|---|
Jack has been invited. (recently completed) or Jack is being invited. (ongoing) |
Jack was picked up after dinner. |
We saw that the bees were dead. adjective The bees died. an unspecified time in the past We saw that the bees were dying. ongoing We saw that the bees had died. earlier |
Also see Irregular Participle Practice
Pop-Q "Died"
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Passive Voice Dispute
| AVOIDED OR CONSTRAINED | NOT AVOIDED |
|---|---|
"The impersonal passive voice [is] an opiate that cancels responsibility, hides identity, and numbs the reader." — Sheridan Baker, "Scholarly Style, or the Lack Thereof" Perspectives on Styles 64, 66 (1956) "Use the active voice. The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive…" (Strunk 18) "Never use the passive where you can use the active." (Orwell 1946) Three problems with using passive voice:
There is no absolute prohibition against it. Times you will want the passive are when: the actor is unimportant, unknown, hidden; important or heavier content sounds better at end, focus is on thing being acted upon; passive wording sounds better. (Garner 612)
"A large number of commentators agree that sentences in which the verb is in the active voice are preferable to those in which the verb is in the passive voice… In spite of generations of textbooks, use of the passive has increased and, ironically, studies show the passive to be more frequently used by the educated than the uneducated." Best used when receiver of action is more important, the doer is unknown or unimportant, scientific writing (tone of detachment, objectivity). "you should not lean to heavily on them". (Merriam-Webster 721)
Passive Territory.
|
On the origin: "Fowler (1926) shows no animus against the passive, nor do the great American grammar ranters of the late 19th century, Richard Grant White and Alfred Ayres. Hall's (1917) survey of disputed usages doesn't mention Avoid Passive or anything like it. Something seems to have happened (possibly only in the U.S.) in the first two decades of the 20th century -- or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places." (Zwicky 2006)
"The specific stylistic charges leveled against the passive are entirely baseless." (Pullum "Fear and Loathing of the English Passive" 2014)
Reasons for using passive structures:
Short passives [without by phrases] are used more predominantly than other forms. Academic use of short passives, in which the discourse is concerned with generalizations rather than specifics, out numbers conversation, fiction and news use. "It is remarkable that the frequency [in the use of passives] is lowest in conversation and fiction" which are registers with the highest frequency of lexical verbs. The passive is traditionally described as a formal and impersonal choice. The formality is consistent with the distribution among resgisters, with high frequencies in academic prose and with conversation at the opposite extreme. (Biber 11.3.4)
Pragmatic factors favouring actives or passives (Huddleston 16 10.2)
|
Works Cited
- Biber, Douglas, and Stig Johansson, et al. Longman Grammar Of Spoken And Written English. Pearson Education, 1999.
- Fowler's Modern English Usage. R. W. Burchfield and H. W. Fowler, revised 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2004.
- Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Launage." Horizon, vol. 76, 1946, p. 252.
- Pullum, Geoffrey. "Fear and Loathing of the English Passive." Linguistics and English Language, U of Edinbrgh, 22 Jan 2014, www.lel.ed.ac.uk/~gpullum/passive_loathing.pdf.
- Strunk, William Jr. and E.G. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed., Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
- Zwicky, Arnold. "How Long Have We Been Avoiding the Passive, and Why?" Languaguage Log. U of Pennsylvania. 22 Jul. 2006, itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003380.html.
Practice 1
A Baby Shower
Read the Active Paragraph
Before a baby is born, friends throw a baby shower for the expectant parents. The friends usually hold the shower a month or two before the due date of the baby. The hosts invite friends to come and celebrate. Sometimes, the mother knows the gender of the baby. If so, friends select gifts for either a boy or a girl.
If not, friends try to predict the gender of the baby. Some friends place bets on whether it is a boy or girl. The event prepares the mother and father for the birth. The parents will use the gifts from this event in the first year of the baby's life. The memories of this event will last a lifetime.
due date (N) – the predicted date of the baby's birth
event (N) – special occasion; especially, a party, celebration, or ceremony
expectant (Adj) – expecting, waiting for the birth of a child
gender (N) – the sex of the baby: male or female
place bets (N) – wagers, place money with the guess. If correct, the person takes the money of the people who guess incorrectly. If incorrect, the person loses money.
predict (V) – guess
throw a shower (expression) – to have a party for someone
Change the focus focus by using passive wording.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or "Check 1-10" button at the bottom.
If you need to review participles forms and spellings, seeIrreg Verb Forms 1 and Irreg Verb Forms 2
Practice 2
Superstitions and Wives' Tales
Read for Errors
For centuries, people have been telling some rather amusing wives' tales about babies.
The gender of a baby can be predicted by how the mother carries the baby— high (girl) or low (boy)
The breath from a baby's mouth can be stole by a cat.
Wearing shoes will be help a baby learn to walk sooner.
If a baby's hair are cutted before his first birthday, he will have "bad" hair.
If a pregnant woman reaches above her head, the umbilical cord is going to be wrapped around the baby's head.
A baby who is tickled too much will stutter.
A baby's lungs won't be developed unless it is allowed to cry.
A baby born in the daylight hours were conceived during the night time and a baby born in the night time hours were conceived during the day.
The soul of the baby will be taken away if it sees its reflection in a mirror before the age of one.
Calling a baby by its name before it is christened is bad luck.
"Old Wives' Tales." Kids Health. 2014. Web. 2 Jan 2014. <kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/old_wives_tales.html >.
christen (V) – to formal take a name in a religious service; baptize in a church
conceive (V) – begin life inside the mother
develop (V) – grow or expand
lungs (N) – organs that take air into the body and break it down for use in the body
soul (N) – the spiritual being
stutter (V) a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to produce speech without repeating initial sounds of words.
tickle (V) – lightly touch sensitive parts of the body and cause to laugh
umbilical cord (N) – the cord that attaches the fetus (the baby) to the mother's uterus, and which transports nourishment from mother to baby
Correct or Incorrect?
- Determine whether the comment is grammatically correct. Select the option correct or incorrect.
- Compare your responses to the answers by clicking the "Check" or the "Check 11-20" button at the bottom.
Practice 3
Amazing Newborns
Read Context
Using active verbs rather than passive verbs is always preferred because active verbs are more dynamic. However, if the subject is unspecific anyone ("in general" an impersonal pronoun) the writer may choose to switch to passive in order to focus on the more interesting content: the recipient of the action. In informal speech, the pronoun you, is also used when speaking in general. Read the following paragraph and consider where and how to change the focus away from you.
A newborn baby is an amazing creature. Many reflexes he or she is born with help the baby to survive. For example, if you lift the baby and don't support the head of baby, the arms of the baby will thrust outward. Also, if you touch a baby's palm with your finger, his fingers will curl around your finger with a strong grip. The opposite occurs when you touch the sole of a baby's foot. The toes will stretch outward. A baby has an innate sucking reflex. When you put the tip of your finger on the baby's lips, he will open his mouth to suck. This is an important reflex for feeding.
Similarly, when you hold a baby and you touch her cheek, the baby will turn toward you with an open mouth. This is called "rooting" and it is useful for breastfeeding. Another surprising reflex occurs when you suspend the baby and place the feet on a flat surface. The baby will naturally take steps. This "stepping" reflex disappears around four months of age. Another curious response happens when you lay a baby on her back. As she turns her head, the arm and leg on the same side will reach out while the arm and leg on the opposite side will bend. This is called the "tonic" reflex because the baby's position is like that of a fencer. Perhaps, the most surprising reflex is swimming. A baby will naturally hold his breath when you gently pull him under water. Parents often reinforce this reflex with early swimming lessons before reflex will disappear. Together, these survival reflexes help a newborn transition into life to become strong, healthy. viable individuals.
Weiss, Robin Elise, "How Newborn Reflexes Help Babies Survive." About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <verywell.com/how-newborn-reflexes-help-babies-survive-2759308>
curl (V) – form a curved shape, wrap in a circle
fencer (N) – a person who does the sport of "fencing" in which an épée, foil, or saber is used for defense and attack.
grip (N) – hold
innate (Adj) – existing from birth; inborn; native
reflex (N) – an involuntary response to a stimulus or touch
reinforce (V) – to strengthen with added practice
sole (N) – the bottom of a shoe or a foot
survival (Adj) – able to live, continue to exist
thrust (v) – to push something forcibly
viable (Adj) – physically fit to live
Also see Impersonal "you"
Change the wording with you to wording that focuses on the baby and his /her reflexes.
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 21-30" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left as you go.