Tuesday 26 October 2010

The Passive (Bentuk Pasif)

Essential Grammar in Use with Answers: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Elementary Students of English   Basic Grammar in Use, Students' Book With Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of North American English   English Phrasal Verbs in Use: Advanced
A. Why do we use The Passive?
Let's notice some sentences below:
a. Rice is grown in West Java.
Rice is grown in West Java by people, by farmers, by someone. In this sentence, it is important to know exactly who grown rice in West Java.
b. My house was built in 1977
c. This batik materials was imported from Tasikmalaya
These sentences are another examples illustrating the most common use of the passive, i.e., without the "by phrase".
So, why do we use The Passive?
Usually, The Passive is used without a "by phrase". The Passive is most commonly used when it is not known or not important toknow exactly who performs an action.

d. Luck, Heart and Destiny book was written by LS.
The " by phrase" is included only if it is important to know who performs an action. In sentence d, by LS is an important information.

e. My mother made this cake. 
This is an active voice. In English, if the speaker knows who performs an action, usually the active is used, as in sentence e.

f. This cake was made by my mother. This cake was made by my aunt.
The passive may be used with the " by phrase" instead of the active when the speaker/writer wants to focus attention on the subject of a sentence. In sentence f, the focus of attention is on two cakes.

B. How to make The Passive?
Active   : a. Sam help the boy
Passive : b. The boy is helped by Sam
So, form of the passive is be + past participle
In the passive, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb: The boy  in a becomes the subject of the passive verb in b. a and b have the same meaning.

Let's notice this sentence:
Active   : c. An accident happened
Passive  : d. none
Only transritive verbs (verbs that are followed by an object) are used in the passive. It is not possible to use verb such as happen, sleep, come and seem (intransitive verbs) in the passive.

Now, how to convert the active into the passive?
                                       Active                                         Passive
Simple present        :Sam          helps        John      John  is helped             by Sam
Present progressive:Sam   is helping         John       John   is being helped   by Sam
Present perfect       :Sam  has helped       John       John   has been helped  by Sam
Simple past            :Sam     helped          John       John     was helped        by Sam
Past progressive     :Sam   was helping     John      John   was being helped by Sam
Past perfect            :Sam    had helped      John     John    had been helped by Sam
Simple future          :Sam      will help        John     John     will be helped   by Sam
Be going to            :Sam  is going to help John       John  is going to be helped by Sam
Future perfect        :Sam will have helped John       John will have been helped by Sam

C. STATIVE PASSIVE
When the passive form expresses an existing state rather than an action, it is called the "stative passive".
Sam broke the window. The window was broken. Now the window is broken.
The passive form may be used to describe an existing situation or state, as 'Now the window is broken'. No action is taking place. The action happened before. There is no "by phrase". The past participle functions as an adjective.

Notice these sentences below:
a. The door is old
b. The door is green
c. The doo is locked
In a and b, old and green are adjectives. They describe the door. In c, locked is a past participle. It is used as an adjective. It describes the door.

d. I am interested in painting
e. He is satisfied with his job
f. Sam is married to John
Stative passive verb are often followed by a preposition other than by.

Now, let's see some examples of idiomatic usage of the passive form. These sentences have no equivalent active sentences.
g. I don't know where I am. I am lost.
h. I can't find my purse. It is gone
i. I am finished with my work
j. I am done with  my home

D. PASSIVE FORM WITH GET
Get may be followed by certain adjectives. Some of the common adjectives that follow get are : angry, anxious, bald, better, big, busy, chilly, cold, dark, dizzy, empty, fat, full, good, heavy, hot, hungry, late, light, mad, nervous, old, rich, sick, sleepy, tall, thirsty, warm, well, wet and worse.
a. I am getting hungry. Let's eat soon.
b. You shouldn't eat too much. You'll get fat
c. I stopped working because I got sleepy

E. ADJECTIVA PARTICIPLE
The present participle conveys an active meaning. The noun it modifies does something. Example:
a. The problem confuses the students. It is a confusing problem
The noun "problem" does something ; it "confuses". Thus, it is described as a "confusing problem".

The past participle conveys a passive meaning.
b. The students are confused by the problem. They are confused students.
In sentence b, the students are confused by something . Thus, they are described as " confused students".


How's your learning progress now?
Still need more resources to learn?
Click here to find more resources in Grammar lessons

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.