http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#577491Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577491Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#577491http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577491.xmlActive:They tell a lie. Passive: A lie is told by them. Active: She is telling a lie. Passive: A lie i s being told by her. Active: She told a lie. Passive: A l ie was told by her. Active:She was telling a lie. Passive: A was being told by her. Active: She has told a lie. Passive: A lie has been told by her. Active: She had told a lie. Passive: A lie had been told by her. From: Kiran &lt;&lt;e-mail removed by mod&gt;&gt;http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575786Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575786AlpheccaStars1http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575786http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575786.xmlHave can be transitive and used in passive voice, but is not commonly used. We do say: A great time was had by all.  For possession in the passive voice, we usually use a different verb than have, such as own or hold. The car was owned by him.  The stocks were held in trust.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575782Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575782AlpheccaStars2http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575782http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575782.xmlThe verbs which cannot be used in passive voice are called &quot;intransitive&quot; verbs. They do not require a direct object.  Verbs that can be used in both active and passive voice are &quot;transitive&quot; verbs. They require an object. In a good dictionary, you will see in the definition of a verb:  vi. (verb, intransitive)  vt. (verb, transitive). Most English verbs have both transitive and intransitive forms. A good dictionary will give separate definitions for each form.  I swam every morning. (intransitive, there is no direct object, so the sentence cannot be re-written in passive voice) Martha Jones swam the English Channel in record time. / The English Channel was swum in record time by Martha Jones.  (transitive) The...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575770Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575770Grammar Geek3http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575770http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575770.xmlFor the passive to work, the verb needs an element of action. He bought the car. The car was bought. He dented the car. The car was dented. He stole the car. The car was stolen. It does not work with &quot;to have&quot; which simply shows possession.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575719Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575719Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/4/vrjlq/Post.htm#575719http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575719.xmlHow about: He has a car. Can it be changed into : The car is had by him? If not then why? Thank youhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#575718Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:575718Anonymous5http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#575718http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-575718.xmlCan the following sentences be changed into passive voice? a. He has a car. b. The garbage disgusts him. It sounds weird to have: a. The car is had by him. b. He is disgusted by the garbage. If they can&#39;t then why? Thank you for sharing.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#496034Sun, 24 May 2009 10:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:496034Clive6http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#496034http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-496034.xmlHi, Would you like to try first? Then we can correct you if you make any mistakes. Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#496026Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:496026Anonymous7http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#496026http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-496026.xmlshe uses two eggs in this cakehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#345318Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:345318Anonymous8http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#345318http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-345318.xmlpassive voice: a story was told by maryhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#344188Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:344188Bird Of Paradise9http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#344188http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-344188.xmlYankee wrote: Hi BoP Unfortunately, this is a complicated topic. As far as I know, it is addressed in A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language . I don't have this book on hand at the moment, so I can't research or quote anything from it. Here, then, is my own feeble effort to explain: As far as I know, there are 'VERB + PREPOSITION + NOUN' combinations in which the noun serves as an object and if the 'preposition+noun' combination tells you 'whom' or 'what' (rather than where, when, how, etc.), then passivisation is possible. It might be argued that the sentence 'He is going to school' tells you both 'where' and 'what'. However, the question about 'where' is much more natural than a question about 'what':...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342870Sun, 24 May 2009 10:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342870Yankee10http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342870http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342870.xmlHi BoP Unfortunately, this is a complicated topic. As far as I know, it is addressed in A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language . I don't have this book on hand at the moment, so I can't research or quote anything from it. Here, then, is my own feeble effort to explain: As far as I know, there are 'VERB + PREPOSITION + NOUN' combinations in which the noun serves as an object and if the 'preposition+noun' combination tells you 'whom' or 'what' (rather than where, when, how, etc.), then passivisation is possible. It might be argued that the sentence 'He is going to school' tells you both 'where' and 'what'. However, the question about 'where' is much more natural than a question about 'what': Where is he...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342683Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342683Yoong Liat11http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342683http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342683.xmlHe is going to school . I cannot see how this sentence can be changed into the Passive Voice.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342671Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342671Grammar Geek12http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342671http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342671.xmlSleeping is intransitive. You are completely correct about that - you can't "sleep something." But you can be sleeping IN something. Your second sentence is very hard to make passive. Perhaps: The school was being approached by him. But that's really a stretch. You would be better to make it a cleft: It was the school that he was going to. (Still not very natural.)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342604Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342604Bird Of Paradise13http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/3/vrjlq/Post.htm#342604http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342604.xmlYankee wrote: Hi BoP Yes, "My bed is being slept in" is grammatically correct. You shouldn't look at the verb in the sentence as just 'sleep'. You have to consider 'sleep in'. Look at these sentences: Someone is speaking. (The sentence is active, the verb speak is intransitive and no object is necessary.) BUT : Someone is speaking to John. (active) --&gt; John is being spoken to. (passive) Someone laughed. Someone laughed at me . (active). --&gt; I was laughed at . (passive) Does that help? Thanks for your help. Actually in our part of the world, teachers follow very hard and fast rules about grammar. And believe me it is only through this site that I have come...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342457Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342457Yankee14http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342457http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342457.xmlHi BoP Yes, "My bed is being slept in" is grammatically correct. You shouldn't look at the verb in the sentence as just 'sleep'. You have to consider 'sleep in'. Look at these sentences: Someone is speaking. (The sentence is active, the verb speak is intransitive and no object is necessary.) BUT : Someone is speaking to John. (active) --&gt; John is being spoken to. (passive) Someone laughed. Someone laughed at me . (active). --&gt; I was laughed at . (passive) Does that help?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342436Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342436Yoong Liat15http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342436http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342436.xmlBird Of Paradise wrote: Thanks for your explaination. Thanks for your explanation.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342213Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342213Bird Of Paradise16http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342213http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342213.xmlThanks for your explaination. Well, i dont know who is that anonymous. I just came across this post and replied to it, using my little knowledge. Anyhow, someone is sleeping in my bed, my bed is being slept in by someone , do you think it is write? I just can't understand that how an intransitive verb can be changed into passive voice?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342205Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342205Grammar Geek17http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342205http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342205.xmlI'm sorry, I had a typo. Instead of "By bed" it should have been "My bed." If you were the original "anonymous" poster and had simply forgottent to sign in, then your post would have been the original poster (you) attempting to answer the questions. In that case, my comment about letter the original poster try first wouldn't have made any sense.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342194Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:342194Bird Of Paradise18http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#342194http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-342194.xmlGrammar Geek wrote: Hi BoP, Next time, it would be better to wait for the person posting to try to make their own attempt first. (Unless that was you and your had forgotten to sign in.) By the way: By bed is being slept in... Thanks for your kind suggestion. I would take care of it next time. Anyhow, i couldn't understand unless that was you and your had forgotten to sign in, could you please tell me what does it mean? Secondly, By bed is being slept in.... in original sentence it is my bed , and i think this sentence is unchageable because we know intransitive verbs cannot be changed into passive voice, sleeping being an intransitive verb.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341808Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:341808Grammar Geek19http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341808http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-341808.xmlHi BoP, Next time, it would be better to wait for the person posting to try to make their own attempt first. (Unless that was you and your had forgotten to sign in.) By the way: By bed is being slept in...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341748Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:341748Bird Of Paradise20http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341748http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-341748.xmlAnonymous wrote: 1. Somebody is sleeping in my bed = Sleeping is an intrasitive verb, therefore cannot be changed into passive voice 2. They call her Jane = She is called Jane by them 3. One uses milk for making butter and cheese = Milk is used for making butter and chese 4. Nobody has done it = It has not been done by anybody 5. The butcher has rasided the price of meat. = the price of meat has been raised by the butcher 6. It will please her to hear that .= she will be pleased if she hears that 7. Nobody will change the rules without carefull thought = the rules will not be changed by anybody without carefull thought 8. They put him in the car = he was put by them in the car 9.A gardener was watering the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341683Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:341683Clive21http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341683http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-341683.xmlHi, How about you try first? And then we will help you with comments. A small word of advice - people here will be more eager to help you if you say something like ' Please help me with these sentences . . .' Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341624Sun, 24 May 2009 10:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:341624Anonymous22http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/2/vrjlq/Post.htm#341624http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-341624.xml1. Somebody is sleeping in my bed 2. They call her Jane 3. One uses milk for making butter and cheese 4. Nobody has done it 5. The butcher have rasided the price of meat. 6. It will please her to hear that . 7. Nobody will change the rules without carefull thought 8. They put him in the car 9.A gardener was watering the garden when i come home from the office 10. I should have been sorry if anyone had broken it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337197Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337197Goodman23http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337197http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337197.xmlHi, Just a word of advice … When we apply passive voice to a context, we should have an awareness if the intended context can receive the passive voice. Theoretically, at least in exercise, we can change active to passive voice with any verb. However, this is not always true in real life. Passive voice should be used with discretion and proper context. For instance, if I say “Mary was given plenty of warning before she was fired for her tardiness”, I intended Mary as my subject and the emphasis is on her. We don't have t ostate the name of the person who carried out the firing. In the active voice, we must state the subject who carried out the firing of Mary, whom in this case is the recipient of the act. Example: Mary’s manager...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337179Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337179ElevenTattic24http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337179http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337179.xmlWell, I'll tell you about a way you can use to change into the Passive voice, I'm not an expert anyway so don't take what I'm going to say as a RULE or as 100% thing. In any Active sentence there are two pieces: auxiliary verb(s) + main verb For example: "He will tell her.": The "auxiliary verb" is "will", the main verb is "tell". In a sentence like "He will have told her.": The auxiliary verbs are "will" and "have" (piece 1), the main verb is "told" (piece 2). To change into passive : 1- rewrite the auxiliary verb(s) after the subject 2- add "verb to be", depending on the auxiliary verb(s) 3- add the "past participle" of the main verb Let's see an example of yours: "should finish" 1- rewrite the auxiliary...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337123Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337123Anonymous25http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337123http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337123.xmlBIG THANKS ElevenTattic!!!!!!!!! Ok, let's see.... to write - will have written (passive) will write - will have been written has written - has been written is writing - to be being writing will have written - will have been written will go - will have been gone should finish - should have been finished should look into - should have been looked into will be seeing - will have been seeing. Phew!http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337099Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337099ElevenTattic26http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337099http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337099.xmlThat's right, it's in the Passive voice but I couldn't find a better sentence to include the "to tell" bit in. Maybe "He's to tell her." It needs context anyway.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337083Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337083Philip27http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337083http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337083.xmlYoong Liat wrote: example: Active: He was told to tell her. Isn't the above sentence 'Passive' rather than 'Active'? Yes, the sentence istself is in the passive voice. The infinitive (direct object) is in the active voice.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337065Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:337065Yoong Liat28http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#337065http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-337065.xmlexample: Active: He was told to tell her. Isn't the above sentence 'Passive' rather than 'Active'?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#336900Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:336900ElevenTattic29http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#336900http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-336900.xml- tell : to be told example: Active: They tell lies. Passive: Lies are told. - is telling : to be being told example: Active: He's telling a lie. Passive: A lie is being told. - told : to be told example: Active: He told her. Passive: She was told. - was telling : to be being told example: Active: He was telling her. Passive: She was being told. - has told : has been told example: Active: He has told her. Passive: She has been told. - had told : had been told (same as above) example: Active: He had told her. Passive: She had been told. - to tell : (what exactly is the context?, if as an infinitive then it can take any form, if it's something like: example: Active: He was told to tell her. Passive:...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#336894Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:336894Clive30http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htm#336894http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-336894.xmlHi, Can you try at least some of these, eg 'tell'? Active: Mary told a story. Passive: ??? Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htmTue, 24 Feb 2009 11:57:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:336888Anonymous31http://www.englishforums.com/English/ChangeIntoPassiveVoice/vrjlq/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-336888.xmlHello, I really need help on passive voice... what would the passive voice be for tell is telling told was telling has told had told to tell will have told must tell and what are the verb forms?