Passive Voice

 1. Two auxiliaries: - TO BE
- TO GET - less frequently used

1) S+TO BE+IIIrd
form
They have broken the window again with a stone.
Direct Object

The window has been broken again by them with a stone.

Subject Agent instrument

2) S+TO GET+IIIrd
form
- in informal/spoken English
- involuntary actions/accidents

My grandpa was killed in the war.

got

 2. His father gave him a new car yesterday.

I.O. D.O.
(indirect object) (direct object)

1. He was given a new car yesterday.

2. A new car was given to him by his father yesterday.

Verbs with prepositional dative can only accept the direct object as subject in the
passive voice:

 to suggest smth TO sb.

 to explain smth TO sb.
 to describe smth TO sb.
 to report smth TO sb.

1
 D.O. I.O.
I suggested a new method to him.

A new method was suggested to him.

He was suggested a new method by me.

He ………………………………. a new method.

was advised to adopt
was recommended (to adopt)
__________________________________________________________________

 3. The agent can be omitted in turning a sentence into the passive if:

- the agent is obvious or unnecessary:

The police arrested him again.
He was arrested again by the police.

Thieves broke into his car again.

His car was broken into again.
__________________________________________________________________

 4. to see
to hear are followed by the short infinitive in the active voice and
to make by the long infinitive in the passive
to help
I saw her cross the street. (că a trecut strada).
crossing the street. (trecând strada).

She was seen to cross the street.

crossing the street.

The infinitive emphasises the effect while the participle (crossing) emphasises the action
in progress
__________________________________________________________________

2
  5. Report / Reporting Verbs

 To believe, to expect, to feel, to hope, to know, to report, to think, to assume, to

presume, to suppose, to allege (a presupune), to say

These verbs form their passive in three ways:

They said he had been a great player.

1. He was said to have been a great player.

- personal subject (pronoun, common/proper noun)→the infinitive mood
(all aspects)
Tom is believed to work 10 hours a day.

simultaneity to be training for the match this month.

to have studied several foreign language as a student.

anteriority
to have been travelling abroad when the attach took place.

2. It was said he had been a great player.

- impersonal subject IT → the indicative mood (present, past, future tenses)

3. There are said to have been no casualties in the crash.

- impersonal subject THERE → the infinitive mood.

3
  Ergative Verbs

- verbs which have passive form and meaning in Romanian and only passive meaning in
English (and active form)

SECTION 4 
Not using the passive: transitive to intransitive 

1. CHANGING THE SUBJECT WITHOUT USING THE PASSIVE 

With some transitive verbs we can change the subject of a sentence without using the passive. We don't mention
or even imply an agent. Verbs that allow us to change the subject to ”the thing affected by the action” without
using the passive are called ”ergative” verbs. By changing the subject of the sentence in this way, the active
transitive verb becomes intransitive:
The dog opened the door (= active)
The door was opened by the dog. (= passive)
The door opened. (ergative - as if the door opened by itself) 

* Here are more examples of ergative verbs:

The whistle blow.
That jumper does up at the neck.
The car crashed into a post.
The soup thickened. 

2. MEANINGS OF THESE VERBS 

Describing change
Most verbs that we can use in this way describe change of some kind: 

Transitive Non-passive intransitive 

This book will change your life. His life changed completely when he moved to Denmark. 
The sun had dried their clothes by the time Their clothes had dried got home. 
they by the time they got home.
She broke her pencil because she was pressing Her pencil broke because she was pressing too hard. 
too hard. 

Other examples include: begin, very, decrease, expand, increase, open, close, finish, fade, stretch, crack, smash 

Watch out! 

We can't use all verbs describing change in this way. For example, destroy and demolish must stay transitive. 

X   The old building demolished. 

✔They demolished the old building. The old building was demolished. 
Describing movement

Other verbs that we can use in this way describe movement of some kind: 

Transitive  Non-passive intransitive 

He reversed the car into the garage. A car reversed round the corner.

4
The pilot landed the plane on only one engine. The plane landed on time.
He moved his chair closer to hers.  That new restaurant has moved. 

Other examples include: turn, stop, fill, shake, spin, sail, tip, shift, bounce 

Cooking

Another group of verbs that we can use in this way relate to cooking: 

Transitive  Non-passive intransitive

Dissolve the mixture in a little water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. 
Simmer the stock for an hour. After the stock has simmered for an hour, add seasoning.

Other examples include: bake, boil, cook, fry, melt, toast, thicken, burn, heat up, cool down, warm, brown,
freeze, thaw 

3. OTHER EXAMPLES OF ERGATIVE VERBS 

She photographs very well. (= she is photogenic) 

Her voice records well. (= her voice sounds good on tape) 
Will this stain wash out? (= Will the stain disappear with washing?) 
Your composition reads well. (= your style is very good)
Black jeans are selling well. (= many people are buying them) 
This skirt creases so easily. (= the skirt becomes creased very quickly) 

? Check

Which of the following sentences are incorrect? 

a) The light has destroyed the photograph. 

b) Raise your hand if you know the answer. 
c) The photograph destroyed because of the light. 
d) The photograph was destroyed in the fire. 
e) The treasure was raised to the surface. 
f) The hot air balloon raised quickly into the sky. 

5
  6. Causative Forms

to cause – a face pe cineva să …

1. to have smth done - to pay for a service

get

I got/had my car painted yesterday.

to have smth done – smth bad happens to you

She had her purse stolen on the bus.

to get smth done

o urgency (emergency +importance)
I must get my car repaired! I've been late all week!

o difficulty
It took them a month, but they eventually got it fixed.

100%
2. to make sb do smth – to force

to have sb do smth – to ask

to get sb to do smth – to persuade

0%

They took the goods and wanted to run away so I had to make them pay.
She had her secretary type a letter early in the morning.
She got her husband to make a coffee for her.