English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [passive-voice]

"Passive voice" is the term used for constructions in which the subject of the verb is the patient of its action.

Passive voice is the term used for constructions in which the subject of the verb is the patient of its action. The verb is constructed using the appropriate form of the verb be plus the past participle of the lexical verb. The agent of the action may be left unspecified, or expressed with by plus the agent.

John was hit by a truck.

In informal use, the passive may also be constructed with get instead of be.

John got hit by a truck.

1128 questions
21
votes
3 answers

According to Grammarly, this sentence is incorrect. But is it really?

I was given two movie tickets by my mother I was using Grammarly and it says "by" should be replaced by "from". Please find a link to the Grammarly checker here.
Tii
  • 357
  • 3
  • 8
10
votes
4 answers

How do I use "is being"?

Say you have a sentence: The food is being processed in a factory. The food is processed in a factory. Both of them sounds right to me. Which one is grammatically correct? When would you use is being? Can anyone gives some examples? Thanks.
tipsywacky
  • 485
  • 5
  • 10
  • 19
8
votes
1 answer

How can I use the verb run in passive voice?

I have a sentence that goes: "Measurements are run for 2 hours". Is it correct? Perhaps, I should use the verb "process" instead of "run"?
Yirmidokuz
  • 337
  • 1
  • 2
  • 8
7
votes
2 answers

'did start' v. 'did get started'

What's the right way of asking the following question: How did World War II start? How did World War II get started? Do both convey the same meaning, or is the use of 'get' superfluous?
muhammad
  • 381
  • 5
  • 8
  • 9
6
votes
2 answers

Passive form of “John is painting his room"

What is the passive form of the statement "John is painting his room."? I do guess the correct form is "His room is being painted by John". But I am unsatisfied with that as it sounds a little absurd. What is the correct passive form of the…
Four Seasons
  • 274
  • 1
  • 2
  • 11
6
votes
3 answers

Differences between clauses: "It is (expected/intended) to employ 500 people in the factory."

What are the differences between: It is expected to employ 500 people in the factory. It is intended to employ 500 people in the factory. I think the first one means the factory hopes to employ 500 people, and the second one means the factory has…
Omen
  • 195
  • 8
6
votes
4 answers

I was knit a sweater

Can to knit be used in this passive structure? The meaning I want this sentence to have is Someone knit a sweater to for me. I was knit a sweater. I know that to give can be used in this passive structure, for example: ▪︎ I was given a toy.
Леопольд-мэтр
  • 215
  • 2
  • 6
6
votes
1 answer

'She was shot by police yesterday' or 'She was shot yesterday by police'

I am writing a test about passive constructions and I have the following questions: Where do I have to put the by-agent. For example: Sarah wrote the email yesterday. A: The email was written by Sarah yesterday. B: The email was written yesterday…
user19424
  • 131
  • 1
  • 4
5
votes
4 answers

Passive construction "have been explained": is it okay to say ""I have been explained this problem several times"?

Is it correct to say "I have been explained this problem several times but I keep forgetting about it." Or should it be "This problem has been explained to me several times but I keep forgetting about it." This sentence comes from a textbook…
Zeya Van Noten
  • 289
  • 1
  • 3
  • 9
5
votes
4 answers

Active voice to passive voice. Ditransitive verbs

I was asked to change voice of these sentences: He decided to sell the car. My answer: He decided the car to be sold. Book answer: He decided that the car should be sold. My teacher gave me a journal to read. My answer: I was given a…
starun008
  • 1,725
  • 21
  • 54
  • 73
4
votes
5 answers

Why shall passive voice be rephrased?

I was reading a document and there was a sentence as this one: "It is aimed mainly at cutting costs, reducing complexity ..". Microsoft word spell checker proposed rephrasing because of the passive voice. I wonder why. This sentence looks fine…
Leos Literak
  • 755
  • 7
  • 17
4
votes
1 answer

intransitive verbs with preposition in passive sentences

Words like “listen” and “shout” are intransitive verbs. Why are they used in passive sentences with prepositions like “to” and “at”? e.g.: She was never listened to. I don’t like to be shouted at. When intransitive verbs are used with…
user9751
  • 41
  • 3
4
votes
2 answers

Why isn't there 'by' in this passive voice?

But Ahab, my Captain, still moves before me in all his Nantucket grimness and shagginess; and in this episode touching Emperors and Kings, I must not conceal that I have only to do with a poor old whale-hunter like him; and, therefore, [A] all…
Listenever
  • 24,139
  • 38
  • 136
  • 254
4
votes
4 answers

What is the passive of 'the teacher teaches us English'?

Active - The teacher teaches us English. Passive - English is taught us by the teacher? It doesn't sound correct but is it??
Rafat
  • 331
  • 2
  • 5
  • 9
4
votes
1 answer

Use of 'be' in English

I am a learner of English and I have some doubts about 'be'. Please check the sentences and help me to understand it(be). What are differences between these sentences. I meant to ask why we should use 'be' here. There are a few restrictions that…
user62015
  • 4,007
  • 15
  • 52
  • 80
1
2 3
…
20 21