Passive - přednáška

THE PASSIVE

Form: verb “be” in a particular tense + past participle

Mom sent Jane a postcard. – the object becomes the subject → A postcard was sent by mom.

• We can say Jane was sent a postcard.

• All verbs can be used in active, only transitive verbs can form the passive voice – they have an object – it has to be changed in a subject

  • They built a house – the object becomes the subject – A house was built.

  • Only transitive verbs can be in passive voice – it has to have object – if no, what will turn into subject?

Why we use passive?

• When we don’t want (don’t know) who did something → an agent = konatel – who is responsible for the activity, semantic term

• Because the subject is very long – it is not common to have long subject at the beginning

When we can omit the agent?

• Sometimes we don’t know the agent

• Sometimes we don’t need the agent – The law was approved.

• We use passive in English more than in Czech (because Czech is flective language – we can change order)

“End focus” → we want to emphasise something, so we put it at the end – important things are at the end (I decorated the room. → The room was decorated by me.)

Active verbs with passive meaning:

• a few active verbs sometimes have a passive meaning

This surface cleans easily. - grammatically it is in active voice (but logically - no surface can clean itself)

These clothes wosh well.

This wine is selling quickly.

The passive with “get”:

• less formal

The egg got broken

You’ll get sacked if you take any more time off.

By X with

During the World cup the streets were filled/packed/crowded, crammed with people.

He was killed by falling stone.- it was a process

He was killed with a knife. – knife was just an instrument

It is said + that clause (agree, arrange, decide….)

It is said that he killed/had killed his wife.

It is said that there is going to be a storm tomorrow.

There is said to be … (acknowledge, believe, consider, fear, feel, know, report, say,

suppose, think, understand…)

There is said to be a storm tomorrow.

Subject of the subordinate clause + is/are said

• When we want to refer to the past

• Subject raising (raised subject) – subject of the subordinte clause will become subject of the main clause

Jane is said to know all the answers. – it is said that Jane knows… - present reference

He is said to have killed (nonfinite verb – perfect infinitive) his wife. → podmět z ↓ vedlejší věty se dostává do hlavní

Non-finite verb phrase - perfect infinitive to show that It has past reference

THE CAUSATIVE

= “have something done”

I had a house built. X I had built a house. X This house had been built

↓ ↓ ↓

Someone did it for me. We I did it myself. We didn’t have to hire

had to do something for it – - present perfect workers…

eg. hire workers…

+ we can use “get” in the same sense expresses difficulty – že nám něco ztížilo práci

I must get this car serviced soon.

I finally got the roof repaired.