5.1.2. Some transitive verbs are seldom used in passive voice in sentences. People aren’t interested in the agent. Such as: elude、 escape 、 flee、get、 let、race, etc.
For examples:
He eluded capture for weeks by hiding underground.
During the civil war thousands of people fled the country.
Don’t let the dog out of the room
The policeman raced after thief.
5.1.3. The mean of transitive verbs make the sentences change into the passive voice. Because people think the action isn’t worth to mention. Like: be said/ reputed/ born caught (in) /supposed etc.
For examples:
(1) He was caught in a traffic jam.
(2) Somebody caught in a traffic jam.
(3) She is reputed to be the best singer in Europe.
(4) People reputed her to be the best singer in Europe.
(5) We are supposed to be back before dark.
(6) People suppose us to be back before dark.
We can’t say so. Sentences (2), (4) and (6) are wrong. But, usually, people don’t use passive voice on this condition.
The following words are adjective participles, so they are usually used in quasi-passive. Such as: acclaimed、alleged、annihilated、baffled、born、 compressed、conditioned、construed、couched、cremated、dazed、deafened、 debased、deemed、disconcerted、dwarfed、earmarked、empowered、fined、 gutted、headed、horrified、hospitalized、indicated、inundated、 jailed、misdirected、overcome、paralyzed、penalized、perpetrated、pilloried、populated、 prized、punctuated、rationed、reconciled、reprieved、reunited、rumored、shipped、 shipwrecked、short-listed、shrouded、staffed、stranded、strewn、subsumed、 suspended、wounded, etc.
5.1.4. When the verbs are used in the perfect continuous tense. They can’t be transformed into passive voice.
For examples:
(1) He has teaching English.
(2) English has been being taught by him. (F)
(3) English has been taught by him. (F)
(4) The dog has chasing Michael.
(5) Michael has been being chased by the dog. (F)
(6) Michael has been chased by the dog. (F)
From this six sentences, we know that the perfect continuous aspect has been be replaced by perfect aspect in passive sentences.
5.1.5. When the clause or infinitive is used as the object in the active voice, it can’t be transformed into passive voice.
For examples:
(1) Mary thought that John was handsome.
(2) That John was handsome was thought by Mary. (F)
(3) Mary hoped to meet him.
(4) To meet him was hoped by Mary. (F)
Sentences (2) and (4) are wrong. The two sentences not only don’t accord with the rules of grammar, but also don’t accord with the language usage.
5.1.6. When the relation between subject and object is reciprocal, the sentence can be only used in active voice
5.1.6.1. Reciprocal pronouns as objects
For examples:
(1) They helped each other.
(2) Each other were helped by them. (F)
5.1.6.2. Reflexive pronouns as objects
For examples:
(1) I saw myself in mirror.
(2)Myself was seen by me in the mirror. (F)
5.1.7. When the object is cognate object, the active voice can’t be transformed into passive voice.
For examples:
(1) They laughed a heavy laugh.
(2) A heavy laugh was laughed by them. (F)
(3) He died a heroic death.
(4) A heroic death was died him. (F)
On this condition, passive voice doesn’t follow this grammar rule.
5.1.8. When the relation between object and subject expresses the part and the whole, active voice can’t be transformed into passive voice.
For examples:
(1) The doctor shook his head and turned away.
(2) They encountered a lot of hardships on the long march.
5.1.9. If there are double objects in the active voice sentence, indirect object can be transformed into the subject of passive sentence.
For examples:
(1) He gave me an English novel.
→ I was given an English novel. (F)
→ An English novel was given tome. (F)
(2) She cash me a cheque.
→ I am cashed a cheque. (F)
→ A cheque is cashed for me. (F)
5.1.10. When the object complement is in the structure “have + sth. done” this object can’t be transformed into the subject of the passive.
For examples:
He has his shirts cleaned at the dry-cleaners.
He has his hair cut.
You have yourself understood.
Dad had Joan called a doctor.
5.2. Semantic-constraints
The paper discusses on some restrictions of voice transformation. There is another restriction in semantics. The active voice doesn’t totally as the same as the passive voice. So the active and the passive are usually different in semantics. In order to follow the demand of language communication, the active and the passive can’t be transformed into each other.
5.2.1. As the subject and object transform into each other, the sentence may follow the rules of grammar. Sometimes, the active and the passive can’t transform into each other.
For examples:
(1) The students will be trained to write notes by studying the passage in detail.
(2) Studying the passage in detail will train the students to write notes.
5.2.2. The active transforms into the passive, the two sentences vary completely in meaning.
For examples:
(1) She can’t teach John.
(2) John can’t be taught.
The two sentences express two different meanings. Sentence (1) means “She is unable to teach John.” In this sentence “can” refers to “ability”. Sentence (2) means “It is impossible (for her) to teach John.” Or “John is unable to learn.” In this sentence “can” refers to “possibility”. The two sentences show that active can’t transform into passive freely. Especially, in the sentence there is a model verb.
For example:
(1) I shall punish you. (=I’m going to punish you.)
(2) You shall be punished. (=You must be punished.)
(3) Why wouldn’t Miranda ride the gray mare? (=Why did Miranda refuse?)
(4) Why wouldn’t the mare be ridden by Miranda? (=Why did the mare refuse?)
5.2.3. After the voice transformed, the meaning of active and passive are the same, but the points are different.
(1) John cleaned the bike.
(2) The bike was cleaned (by John).
The two sentences describe the same thing. Sentence (1) is to answer the question –“Who cleaned the bike?” Sentence (2) is to answer the question –“Was the bike cleaned?” If people want to know “who” cleaned the bike, it is just can answer by executor.
5.3. Situation-constraints
5.3.1. Sometimes, in order to stress the core, keep one subject or not change the subject, and make the whole sentence clear and coherent, in the sentences we have to use passive voice.
For example:
(1) He rose to speak, and was listened to with enthusiasm by the great crowd present.
(2) She came to the Derby, not only to see, but just as much to be seen.
If the two sentences are used in active voice, there will be two centers and the structure will become loose. Look at another sentence.
(3) All his time was devoted to science; all his life was struggled through.
5.3.2. Sometimes, to choose the active or passive, it depends on the context.
For examples:
The rain destroyed the flowers.
The flowers were destroyed by the rain.
The two sentences can transform each other. They express the same thing. But the central meaning of sentence (1) is the flowers; sentence (2) is the rain.
Conclusion
In English, there are two kinds of voice, that is: active voice and passive voice. According to Zhang Keli’s New English Grammar, the passive voice can be divided into three kinds of voice, that is: true-passive voice, quasi-passive voice and pseudo-passive. This thesis discusses on them through typical examples one by one. In the thesis, the author deals with the active form of some transitive verbs which express passive meaning too. My view is correct or not, it only gives readers reference.
主要参考文献与资料：
［1］约翰.辛克莱;任绍曾主译.英语语法大全［M］.北京:商务印书馆，2001，
［2］章振邦.新编英语语法［M］.上海:上海疑问出版社,1981.6
［3］张克礼.新英语语法［M］.高等教育出版社,2001
［4］A.J.Thomson, A.V.Martiner. A practical English Grammar［M］.牛津大学出版社,1991
［5］张道真.实用英语语法[M].北京:商务印书馆,1979
［6］罗利群.论英语语态转换的限制[N].黔东南民族师专学报(社哲版),1997-06
Teaching Methods & learners’ Interest
提高初中生英语语感的探索与实践