Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

VERB COMPLEMENTATION AND PASSIVE VOICE

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Only transitive clauses and certain clauses where the verb has a prepositional

phrase complement may be made passive. Other active-voice clauses may not be

made passive:

Active: Someone stole the car. 

(monotransitive: direct object)

Passive: The car was stolen.

Active: Someone gave him a warning. 

(ditransitive: direct and indirect object)

Passive 1: He was given a warning.

Passive 2: A warning was given to him.

Active: Someone broke into their car. 

(verb + prepositional phrase complement)

Passive: Their car was broken into. 

Passives are not formed from copular verbs:

She

’s a teacher. 

(A teacher is been by her.)

Carol 

seems right for the job. 

(The job is seemed right by Carol.)

Paula 

became a nurse. 

(A nurse was become by Paula.)