Download Lesson 6 Verbs--Active Voice, Passive Voice

Lesson 6 Verbs--Active and Passive Voices, Direct and Indirect Speeches
6.1 Active Voice and Passive Voice
There are two special forms for verbs called voice:
1. Active voice
2. Passive voice
6.1.1 The active voice is the “normal” voice. This is the voice that we use most of
the time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice. In the active
voice, the object receives the action of the verb. Eg.

6.1.2
Everybody drinks water.
(subject – verb – object)
The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the
“normal” voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice.
6.1.2.1
The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive
verb. Eg.

Everybody drinks water. (active voice)
(subject – active verb – object)

Water is drunk. (passive voice)
(subject – passive verb)
6.1.2.2

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. Eg.
Water is drunk.
(subject – verb)
6.1.2.3 The transitive verb in the active voice becomes intransitive in the
passive voice. Eg.

Everybody drinks water. (active voice)
(subject – transitive verb – object)

Water is drunk. (passive voice)
(subject – intransitive verb)
In the first sentence, drinks is a transitive verb taking water as its object. The
1
sentence can be passivized with the direct object water as the grammatical
subject in the second sentence (passive voice). This shift is called promotion
of the object.
6.1.2.4 The passive-voice construction cannot take an object. The passivized
sentence could be continued with the agent. Eg.

Water is drunk by everybody. (passive voice)
(subject – intransitive verb – agent)
6.1.2.5
Construction of the Passive Voice
The structure of the passive voice is very simple:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)
The main verb is always in its past participle form.
Look at these examples:
subject
auxiliary verb (to
be)
main verb (past
participle)
is
drunk
by everyone
100
people
are
employed
by this
company.
I
am
paid
in HK dollars.
We
are
paid
in euros.
Are
they
paid
in yen?
Water
6.1.2.6
not
Use of the Passive Voice
We use the passive voice when:


we want to make the active object more important
we do not know the active subject
subject
verb
object
2
give importance to active object
(President Kennedy)
President
Kennedy
was killed
by Lee Harvey
Oswald.
active subject unknown
My wallet
has been
stolen.
?
Note that we always use by to introduce the passive agent, as the verb in
passive voice is intransitive (see 6.1.2.3) and cannot take an object (see 6.1.2.4),
such as the sentence: Fish are eaten by cats.
Look at this sentence:

He was killed with a gun.
Normally we use by to introduce the passive agent. But the gun is not the active
subject. The gun did not kill him. He was killed by somebody with a gun. In the
active voice, it would be: Somebody killed him with a gun. The gun is the
instrument. Somebody is the “agent” or “doer.”
6.1.2.7
Conjugation for the Passive Voice
We can form the passive in any tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the
passive tense is rather easy, as the main verb is always in past participle form
and the auxiliary verb is always be. To form the required tense, we conjugate
the auxiliary verb. So, for example:



present simple: It is made
present continuous: It is being made
present perfect: It has been made
Here are some examples with most of the possible tenses:
infinitive
simple
to be washed
present
It is washed.
past
It was washed.
future
It will be washed.
3
continuous
perfect simple
perfect continuous
conditional
It would be washed.
present
It is being washed.
past
It was being washed.
future
It will be being washed.
conditional
It would be being washed.
present
It has been washed.
past
It had been washed.
future
It will have been washed.
conditional
It would have been washed.
present
It has been being washed.
past
It had been being washed.
future
It will have been being washed.
conditional
It would have been being washed.
Adapted from http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-voice.htm.
6.2 Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this
you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech.
6.2.1
Direct Speech / Quoted Speech
Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech, sometimes called
quoted speech, because what a person says appears within quotation marks ("..."),
and should be word for word. Eg.


The teacher said, "Today's lesson is on direct and indirect speeches."
"Today's lesson is on direct and indirect speeches," the teacher said.
4
6.2.2
Indirect Speech / Reported Speech
6.2.2.1 No quotation marks in Indirect / Reported Speech
Indirect speech, sometimes called reported speech, doesn't use quotation
marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.
6.2.2.2 Tense changes in Indirect / Reported Speech
6.2.2.2.1 In indirect / reported speech, the tense usually changes. This is
because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time
in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in
the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past, too. Eg.


Direct speech: "I'm going to shop," she said.
Indirect speech: She said she was going to shop.
6.2.2.2.2 As a rule when you report something someone has said you go
back a tense. Eg.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Present simple
Past simple
She said, "It's cold."
She said it was cold.
Present continuous
Past continuous
She said, "I'm teaching English."
She said she was teaching English.
Present perfect simple
Past perfect simple
She said, "I've been on the web since
2000."
She said she had been on the web since
2000.
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I've been teaching English She said she had been teaching English
for five years."
for five years.
Past simple
Past perfect
She said, "I taught online yesterday." She said she had taught online
yesterday.
Past continuous
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I was teaching earlier."
She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect
Past perfect
She said, "The lesson had already
NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had
5
started when he arrived."
already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I'd already been teaching
for five minutes."
NO CHANGE - She said she'd already
been teaching for five minutes.
6.2.2.2.3
In complex sentences the verb in the time clause may not
change. Eg.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Bill said, “I was watching TV when
Bill said that he had been watching TV
Jim called.”
when Jim called.
6.2.2.2.4
Speech,
Changes of helping / modal verbs in Indirect / Reported
6.2.2.2.4.1
Modal verb forms also sometimes change. Eg.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
will
would
She said, "I'll teach English online
tomorrow."
She said she would teach English
online tomorrow.
can
could
She said, "I can teach English online."
She said she could teach English online.
must
had to
She said, "I must have a computer to
teach English online."
She said she had to have a computer to
teach English online.
shall
should
She said, "What shall we learn today?"
She asked what we should learn today.
may
might
She said, "May I open a new browser?"
She asked if she might open a new
browser.
6
6.2.2.2.4.2
There is no change for the following modal verbs:
could, would, should, might and ought to. Eg.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
She said, “I could do that.”
She said she could do that.
He said, “I would go to the party.”
He said he would go to the party.
She said, “They should come.”
She said they should come.
"I might go to the cinema," he said.
He said he might go to the cinema.
“I ought to do that,” she said.
She said she ought to do that.
6.2.2.2.5
Indirect / Reported speech in present tense.
6.2.2.2.5.1 You can use the present tense in reported speech if you
want to say that something is still true, i.e. my name has always been
and will always be Peter, so:
Direct speech
Indirect speech
He said his name was Peter.
"My name is Peter," he said.
He said his name is Peter.
6.2.2.2.5.2 You can also use the present tense if you are talking about
a future event.
Direct speech (exact quote)
"Next week's lesson is on reported
speech," she said.
Indirect speech (not exact)
She said next week's lesson is on
reported speech.
7
6.2.2.2.5.3 You can use the present tense if the reported words are
always true.
Direct speech
Copernicus said, “The planets move
around the Sun.”
Indirect speech
Copernicus said that the planets move
around the Sun.
6.2.2.2.5.4 You can use the present tense if the reported words are
true at the time of reporting.
Direct speech
Peter said, “I’m meeting Margaret
tomorrow.”
Indirect speech
Peter said he is meeting Margaret
tomorrow. (reported on the same day,
tomorrow still refers to tomorrow)
Peter said he was meeting Margaret
the following day. (reported later, the
meeting has already happened)
6.2.2.2.5.5 You can use the present tense if the reporting verb is in
present or future tense.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Margaret said, “I love you.”
Margaret says she loves me. (the
reporting verb says is in simple
present tense)
Peter said, “I’m always there for you.”
Peter will tell you he's always there
for you. (the reporting verb will tell
is in simple future tense)
8
6.2.2.2.6 Reporting Conditional Sentences.
6.2.2.2.6.1 Reporting First Conditional Sentences.
When reporting a first conditional sentence, the following tense
changes may be applied.
Direct speech
Mary said, "If we leave now, we’ll
catch the train."
Indirect speech
Mary told me that if we leave now, we’ll
catch the train. (if we can still catch the
train)
Mary told me that if we left, we’d catch
the train. (if the train has already left)
6.2.2.2.6.2 Reporting Second Conditional Sentences.
When reporting a second conditional sentence, the following tense
changes may be applied.
Direct speech
Professor Wilhelm said, "If I had some
chalk, I could write on the blackboard."
Indirect speech
Professor Wilhelm said if he had had
some chalk, he could have written on the
blackboard.
6.2.2.2.6.3 Reporting Third Conditional Sentences.
When reporting a third conditional sentence, we apply no tense changes.
Direct speech
"If they had been more careful, they
wouldn't have been killed in the
accident," the policeman muttered.
Indirect speech
The policeman remarked that they
wouldn't have been killed in the accident
if they had been more careful.
9
6.2.2.2.6.4
Reporting Zero Conditional Sentences.
When reporting a zero conditional sentence, the following tense changes
may be applied.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Present time
Linda said, "If John is cursing, it means
that he is very angry."
Linda said (that) if John is cursing, it
means that he is very angry. (if this is a
general truth)
Linda said if John was cursing, it meant
that he was very angry. (if this refers to
a past habit; John may have changed or
died since then)
Past time
Alice remarked, “If he was in Hong
Alice mentioned that if he was in Hong
Kong he always went to visit his uncle.” Kong he always had gone to visit his
uncle. (Here only the tense in the main
clause changes. No changes are made in
the if-clause as it does not express a
condition but functions as a time clause.)
6.2.2.2.7
Wish, it's (high) time in Indirect / Reported Speech.
When reporting structures such as wish, it's (high) time 是時候了、早該做,
etc., the same rules apply as in the case of reporting second and third
conditional sentences.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
"I wish I could talk to him!" Bob
complained. (present reference)
Bob (complained that he) wished he
could talk to him.
"I wish I could have talked to him!"
Bob agonized. (past reference)
Bob (lamented that he) wished he could
have talked to him.
"I wish I hadn’t been there!" moaned
Phil (regretted that he) wished he hadn’t
10
Phil. (past reference)
been there.
"It's high time you started looking after
your health," the doctor said.
The doctor advised her that it was high
time she started looking after her health.
6.2.2.3 Changes of expression of time in Indirect / Reported Speech
If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit
in with the time of reporting if it has different meaning at the time of reporting.
Expressions of time if reported on a different day
this (morning)
that (morning)
today
yesterday
these (days)
those (days)
now
then
(a month) ago
(a month) before
last weekend
the previous weekend
next (week)
the following (week)
tomorrow
the next / following day
6.2.2.4 Changes of expression of place in Indirect / Reported Speech
If you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard
it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Eugene asked, "How long have you
Eugene asked me how long I'd worked
worked here?"
there.
6.2.2.5 Changes of pronouns in Indirect / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
11
Rose said, "I teach English at Oregon
State College."
6.2.2.6
Rose said she teaches English at
Oregon State College.
Reporting verbs used in Indirect / Reported Speech
There are many reporting verbs we use in indirect or reported speech. The most
common ones are said, told and asked. Others include accused, added,
admitted, advised, agreed, alleged, answered, apologized, begged, believed,
boasted, claimed, complained, confessed, confirmed, decided, denied,
doubted, explained, felt, hoped, implied, insisted, invited, mentioned, offered,
ordered, promised, repeated, replied, suggested and thought.
6.2.2.6.1

Jimmy asked Peter what time the movie started.
6.2.2.6.2

We use asked to report questions. Eg.
We use told with an object. Eg.
Peter told Jimmy the movie started at 7.
(Jimmy is the object)
6.2.2.6.3 We usually use said without an object. If said is used with an
object we must include to. Eg.


Jimmy said he would go to the movie on time.
Jimmy said to Peter that he’d go to the movie on time.
use told in this case rather than said to.)
(Note: We usually
6.2.2.6.4 Properly using other reporting verbs can make what you say
much more interesting and informative. Eg.

Peter asked Jimmy to go to the movie.
To make the sentence more interesting and informative, we can write:




Peter invited Jimmy to go to the movie.
Peter suggested that Jimmy should go to the movie.
Peter advised Jimmy to go to the movie.
Peter begged Jimmy to go to the movie.
12

Peter ordered Jimmy to go to the movie.
6.2.2.7
Use of ‘that’ in Indirect / Reported Speech
In indirect or reported speech, the word that is often used. However, the use
of that is sometimes optional. Eg.


Peter told Jimmy that he should go to the movie.
Peter told Jimmy he should go to the movie.
6.2.2.7.1
Reporting verb + that-clause
add, admit, agree, answer, believe, claim, complain, confess, confirm,
decide, deny, doubt, explain, feel, hope, insist, mention, promise,
repeat, reply, say, suggest, etc.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Charles said, “…and I would also like
to say that I have been a conscientious
employee here for twenty years.”
Charles added that he had been a
conscientious employee there for twenty
years.
Judy said, “Sorry, I broke the cup.”
Judy admitted that she had broken the
cup.
Francis said, “Yes, the movie was
really good, indeed.”
Francis agreed that the movie had been
really good.
He replied, “I’ve never felt more
comfortable, as I’ve been in the shade
all afternoon.”
He answered that he had never felt
more comfortable, because he had been
in the shade all afternoon.
Thales of Miletus, the Greek
philosopher, said, "The Earth is a disk
floating on an endless ocean."
Thales of Miletus, the Greek
Bob yelled: “Of course I didn’t block
the road and cause this traffic jam!”
Bob claimed that he had not blocked the
road and caused the traffic jam.
Bruce said, “I hate having to do three
essays every week.”
Bruce complained that he had to do
three essays every week.
“Yes, it was me who started that ugly
rumor about you. Can you forgive
me?” Mary said to Jack.
Mary confessed to Jack that she had
started an ugly rumor about him.
philosopher, believed that the Earth was
a disk floating on an endless ocean.
13
Jojo said, “Yes, Jim, the meeting is on
tonight.”
Jojo confirmed to Jim that the meeting
was on that night.
Liza said, “Well, I think I’d rather not
buy this dress.”
Liza decided that she wouldn’t buy that
dress.
Howie said, “No, I wasn’t in the
party.”
Howie denied that he had been in the
party.
Pete said, “I don’t think we’ve gotten
the right deal.”
Pete doubted that they had gotten the
right deal.
Albert said, “I could make fire with
chocolate, because my friend showed
Albert explained that his friend had
taught him how to make fire with
me how.”
chocolate.
Mr. Harvard replied, Well, I think we
should back him up to avoid
bankruptcy.”
Mr. Harvard felt that they should back
him up to avoid bankruptcy.
Bill said, “I hope the weather
conditions will turn out okay.”.
Bill hoped that the weather conditions
would turn out fine.
Parka said, “No, I’m absolutely sure
that I’ve closed the door.”
Parka insisted that he had closed the
door.
Warren said, “Well, I may take that
offer and go on a trip for two months.”
Warren casually mentioned that he
might take that offer and go on a trip for
two months.
Lue said, “I will be on time, I
promise.”
Lue promised that she would be on
time.
Alice said, “Honey, as I’ve told you
before, the girls are going with us.”
Alice repeated that she insisted on
having the girls going with them.
Tom said, “Yes, I’ve finished the
assignment.”
Tom replied that he had finished the
assignment.
Pluto said, “We’re all on the same
page.”
Pluto said that they were all on the same
page.
Maria said, “Maybe they’ve gotten
Maria suggested that they might have
gotten lost in the mail system.
lost in the mail system.”
6.2.2.7.2
Reporting verb + that-clause with subjunctive 虛擬語氣
advise, agree, demand, insist, prefer, propose, recommend, request,
suggest, urge, etc.
14
6.2.2.7.3
Reporting verb + that-clause with should + infinitive
advise, agree, demand, insist, prefer, propose, recommend, request,
suggest, urge, etc.
6.2.2.7.4
Reporting verb + to + infinitive
agree, claim, decide, demand, hope, offer, prefer, promise, refuse,
threaten, etc.
6.2.2.7.5
Reporting verb + somebody + to + infinitive
ask, advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite,
order, permit, persuade, prefer, recommend, remind, request, tell,
urge, warn, want, etc.
6.2.2.8 When reporting questions, the word ‘that’ is never used; instead, we
often use the word ‘if’. Eg.

Peter asked Jimmy if he would go to the movie.
15