About Passive Sentences

12 April 2011

On Tuesday I have learnt more about passive sentences. Louise  gave me a newspaper. Beside asking some questions about the news content of “Jailed for trying to run down officer”, she asked me to search passive sentences. Finally My friends and I found 4 sentences including the title. 

 

We have discussed about the function of passive sentence. My friend and I believe that it is used in some conditions. First, Formal notice such as Passengers are requested not to smoke.  Second, newspaper. Third, processes in science or engineering, for example The engine is cooled by air, not water. Fourth, it is not important who or what did the action or when we do not know who or what did the action. For instance: The Mosque was built in 2005 (The agent is not important). My friend’s bicycle was stolen (the agent is unknown).

We can use “by” or “with” in passive sentences before an agent, an instrument and a material, for instance The book was written by my father. The best coffee is made with good coffee beans.

Sometimes we can not use passive sentences because the agent is usually known and important such as : espace, fit, get, have, let, like, suit, and survive.

When we found verb "advise, expect, feel, mean, teach (tought), order, report, request, required, etc" we can use passive + to infinitive for instance : It was taught to use the passive at english course.

We can use "it" as the subject when we meet verb word of "agree, announce, discover, expect, hope and suggest". For example, It was agreed that we would pick them up at six.

Those are interesting knowledge.

Note : I found a new funny sentence : "Take an easy busy like a lemon squeezy"  :D