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Questions and Answers
What is the primary reason for subject-verb agreement in passive voice sentences?
Which of the following sentences is an example of impersonal passive or agentless passive?
What is the function of modal verbs in passive voice sentences?
What is the characteristic of a passive voice sentence that helps identify it?
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Which of the following sentences is in the passive voice?
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What is the term for the degree of certainty or possibility expressed by a verb?
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What is the term for the construction where the doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase?
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Which of the following sentences is an example of a passive voice sentence with a plural subject?
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What is the clue to identify passive voice sentences that involves the verb 'to be'?
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What is the term for the rearrangement of the sentence structure in passive voice, where the verb comes before the subject?
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Study Notes
Verb Agreement
- In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb.
- The verb form agrees with the subject, not the doer of the action.
- Singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Example:
- Singular: The book is written by John. (The subject "book" is singular, so the verb "is written" is also singular.)
- Plural: The books are written by John. (The subject "books" is plural, so the verb "are written" is also plural.)
Subject-verb Inversion
- In passive voice, the subject and verb are inverted compared to active voice.
- The verb comes before the subject in a passive sentence.
- This inversion helps to identify passive voice sentences.
- Example:
- Active: John writes the book. (Subject "John" comes before the verb "writes".)
- Passive: The book is written by John. (The verb "is written" comes before the subject "book".)
Passive Constructions
- There are two main types of passive constructions:
-
True passive: The doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase.
- Example: The play was written by Shakespeare.
-
Impersonal passive or agentless passive: The doer of the action is not mentioned.
- Example: The play was written in 1599.
-
True passive: The doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase.
Modality
- Modality refers to the degree of certainty or possibility expressed by a verb.
- In passive voice, modality is expressed using modal verbs such as "can", "could", "may", "might", "shall", "should", "will", and "would".
- Example:
- The package can be delivered tomorrow. (Expressing possibility)
- The report must be written by Friday. (Expressing necessity)
Identifying Passive Voice
- Look for the following clues to identify passive voice:
- The verb "to be" (is, are, am, be, been) is often used in passive voice.
- The subject of the sentence is not performing the action.
- The doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase starting with "by".
- The sentence can be rewritten in active voice by swapping the subject and object.
- Example:
- Active: The teacher gives the student a book. (Subject "teacher" performs the action)
- Passive: The student is given a book by the teacher. (Subject "student" receives the action)
Verb Agreement
- In passive voice, the verb form agrees with the subject, not the doer of the action.
- Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Example: "The book is written by John" (singular subject, singular verb) vs. "The books are written by John" (plural subject, plural verb).
Subject-verb Inversion
- In passive voice, the subject and verb are inverted compared to active voice.
- The verb comes before the subject in a passive sentence, helping to identify passive voice.
- Example: "John writes the book" (active voice) vs. "The book is written by John" (passive voice, with verb-subject inversion).
Passive Constructions
- There are two main types of passive constructions:
- True passive: The doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase. (Example: "The play was written by Shakespeare")
- Impersonal passive or agentless passive: The doer of the action is not mentioned. (Example: "The play was written in 1599")
Modality
- Modality refers to the degree of certainty or possibility expressed by a verb.
- In passive voice, modality is expressed using modal verbs such as "can", "could", "may", "might", "shall", "should", "will", and "would".
- Example: "The package can be delivered tomorrow" (expressing possibility) and "The report must be written by Friday" (expressing necessity).
Identifying Passive Voice
- Look for the following clues to identify passive voice:
- The verb "to be" (is, are, am, be, been) is often used in passive voice.
- The subject of the sentence is not performing the action.
- The doer of the action is mentioned in a prepositional phrase starting with "by".
- The sentence can be rewritten in active voice by swapping the subject and object.
- Example: "The teacher gives the student a book" (active voice) vs. "The student is given a book by the teacher" (passive voice).
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Description
Test your understanding of verb agreement in sentences, including active and passive voice, singular and plural subjects, and more.
