Passive's uses

Hi guys!

In the last grammar post we learnt about the difference between transitive and intrasitive verbs in order to can make the passive transformation.

In this post, I will show you which are the uses of passive constructions and when we can use it.

Passive uses:

1. The doer of the action is unknown: The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age (But we do not know who did it)
2. The doer is irrelevant: An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert (but we are not interested in who will do that)
3. You are talking about a general truth: Rules are made to be broken. (By whomever, whenever.)
4. When people in general are the agents: The cds can be bought in our shops. (People can buy it)
5. You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods section: The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then titrated with hydrochloric acid.
6. It is obvious to the listener or reader who the agent is:She discovered that she was being paid less than her male colleagues
7. To emphasize on the receiver of the action rather than the doer: Batman's pet was shot by the hunter.

Here it is a hint of the passive uses. Now, read them again, and prove yourself doing this little exercise. 

(To do this exercise, clic in"passive's uses" in the post section) 

Choose which kind of use is more suitable to the following passive sentences.

Quiz

 

1. The car was stolen
   1.   Scientific use
   2.   Emphasis on the receiver of the action.
   3.   General truth
   4.   Unknown doer
2. This Lilliputian instrument was sculpted from crystalline silicon
   1.   Emphasis on the receiver of the action
   2.   Scientific use
   3.   Unknown doer
   4.   General truth
3. A mistake was made
   1.   Emphasis on the receiver of the action.
   2.   Unknown doer
   3.   General truth
   4.   Scientific use
4. I had the feeling that I was being followed.
   1.   Scientific use
   2.   Unknown doer
   3.   Emphasis on the receiver of the action
   4.   General truth
5. Rules are to be torn
   1.   General truth
   2.   The agent is people in general
   3.   Scientific use
   4.   Unknown doer
6. The wedding invitation will be mailed next Monday
   1.   Scientific use
   2.   Irrelevant doer
   3.   Unknown doer
   4.   The agent is people in general
7. All the Beatles records can be borrowed from the central library
   1.   Unknown doer
   2.   General truth
   3.   Irrelevant doer
   4.   The agent is people in general
8. I had been instructed to remove all the ash trays
   1.   The agent is people in general
   2.   Unknown doer
   3.   Obvious doer
   4.   General truth