Morfologie - přednášky

5. 12.

Passive form

How we form it?

• Verb “be” (in whatever tense we want) + past participle = main verb

Active structure → passive structure

• They built a house. → A house was built.

• We have to change an object

• Only transitive verbs can be put in passive form

AGENT (konatel)

• Semantic term – it refers to “doer” → to who is responsible for the activity

Advantage of passive

• We don’t have to talk about what is an object/a subject

Use of passive:

1. When we don’t know the agent

2. When we don’t want to mention the agent

3. Sometimes the agent is obvious

The agent can be added to:

• This house was built by my father. – passive

• My father built this house. – active

↓

“End focus” – the most important thing is at the end of the sentence

1. When we want to emphasise the agent

• This house was built by my father.

• There is a cat in the garden. X The cat is in the garden

Na zahradě je kočka Víme, o jakou kočku se jedná (“the cat”); Kočka je na zahradě

1. If the subject is really long

I sent my mum a postcard. – active – 2 objects (mum, postcard)

A postcard was sent to my mum.

My mum was sent a postcard.

↓

We shouldn’t add “by me”

Exercise:

1. We added up the money and found that it was correct. → The money was added up and found to be correct.

2. I’m employing a man to tile the bathroom. → I’m having the bathroom tiled. – CAUSATIVE, je možné taky (I’m having a man to tile the bathroom.)

3. Someone seems to have made a terrible mistake. → A terrible mistake seems to have been made.

4. It is your duty to make tea at eleven o’clock. (Use suppose) → You are supposed to make a tea at 11 o’clock.

5. People know that he is armed. → He is known to be armed.

6. Someone saw him pick up the gun. → He was seen picking up the gun. (He was seen to pick up the gun.)

7. We know that you were in town on the night of the crime. → You are known to have been in town on the night of the crime.

8. We believe that he has special knowledge which may be useful to the police. → He is believed to have special knowledge which may be useful to the police.

9. You needn’t have done this. → This needn’t have been done.

10. You had better ask your tailor to take it in. → You had better taken in. – CAUSATIVE – Nech si to zabrat.

11. He likes people to call him “sir”. → He liked to be called “sir”.

12. Don’t touch this switch. → This switch mustn’t be touched. (isn’t to be touched) (can’t be touched)

13. You will have to get someone to see to it. → You will have to have it seen to. – CAUSATIVE

14. It is impossible to do this. → This can’t be done.

15. Someone is following us. → We are being followed.

16. They used to make little boys climb the chimneys to clean them. → Little boys used to be made to climb the chimneys to clean them.

17. You have to see it to believe it. → It has to be seen to be believed.

18. You order me about and I am tired of it. → I am tired of being ordered about.

19. He doesn’t like people laughing at him. → He doesn’t like being laughed at.

20. You don’t need to wind this watch. → This watch needn’t be wound.

21. They shouldn’t have told him. → He shouldn’t have been told.

22. They decided to divide the money between the widows of the lifeboatmen. → They decided that the money should be divided between the widows of the lifeboat men.

23. People believe that he was killed by terrorists. → He is believed he have been killed by terrorist.(It is believed that…)

24. They are to send letters to the leaders of charitable organizations. → Letters are to be sent to the leaders or charitable organizations.

25. We consider that she was the best singer that Australia has ever produced. → She is considered to have been the best singer that Australia has ever produced.