FORMING THE PASSIVE

Active a) Mary helped the boy Subject Verb Object

Passive b) The boy was helped by Mary

subject verb

We often prefer the passive when it is not so important who or what did the action

Active a) Someone built the house in 1920 Subject Verb object

Passive b) The house was build in 1920 Subject Verb

Active Passive

Mary helps the boy The boy is helped by Mary

Mary is helping the boy The boy is being helped by Mary

Mary has helped the boy The boy has been helped by Mary

Mary helped the boy The boy was helped by Mary

Mary was helping the boy The boy was being helped by Mary

Mary had helped the boy The boy had been helped by Mary

Mary will help the boy The boy will be helped by Mary

Mary is going to help the boy The boy is going to be helped by Mary

Mary will have helped the boy The boy will have been helped by Mary

Form the passive Be + participle

Taken from: Grammar in use, practice for intermediate

En oraciones, existen muchas veces dos objetos: el objeto directo y el objeto indirecto.

El objeto directo es sobre quien recae la acción misma del verbo y el objeto, es decir, recibe la acción del verbo realizada por el sujeto de la oración, example:• Juan kicked the ball (Juan pateó la pelota) La pelota es el objeto directo ya que ésta es la que recibe la patada de Juan.• He wrote a letter   =  Letter is the direct object

Los objetos indirectos son incluidos en la oracion cuando el sujeto hace algo para algo o alguien. Example: • Juan kicked the ball to the goal : Aqui el objeto indirecto es el arco (the goal)• John offered Ann a jobAqui el objeto indirecto es Ann y el objeto directo es el empleo, que es lo que ofrece John.

DIRECT AND INDIRECT OBJECTS

There are three main types of objects in English: direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions. We’re going to focus in two of them: direct and indirect. While these two perform somewhat related jobs in sentences, there are distinct differences in both position and function that students need to be made aware of if they are to master effective sentence construction.

TYPES OF OBJECTS

The students typically learn to identify is the direct object. Direct objects receive the action of the verb (specifically, the transitive verb) in the sentence. The subject of the sentence does something directly to the direct object (hence the name direct object). In the following examples below, the direct object of the sentence is highlighted in bold:

Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence.Richard Wright wrote Native Son.Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.In terms of function, whatever the subject of the above sentence does (threw, kicked, signed, wrote, and invented) it does to the direct object (the Declaration of Independence, Native Son, and the light bulb).

In terms of position in the sentence, the direct object is typically placed directly after the transitive verb unless the sentence contains an indirect object.

DIRECT OBJECTS

INDIRECT OBJECTSIndirect objects are included in sentences when the subject of the sentence does something to something or someone else. Again, like the name suggests, indirect objects involve something being done to something else indirectly. The indirect object of the following sentences is highlighted in bold:

I gave my girlfriend a rose.Lisa told her niece a story.Bruce sang a ballad to his countrymen.Christian bought Elizabeth a watch.Joshua built Emma a fence.

Notice that, in terms of position, the indirect object comes between the direct object and the action verb in the above sentences.In terms of function, if the indirect objects were removed, the sentences would still make sense. However, the reader wouldn't know who or what the action was intended for.