Using passive voice
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Passive voice or be + adjective | page 1 of 5 |
Introduction
Consider the following example:
Perhaps this David Li Kwok-po is related to the David Li Kwok-po who is on the board of Dow Jones, publishers of the "Far Eastern Economic Review". (SCMP 13/5/94)
Although is related looks like a passive verb form, it is possible neither to
add in an agent 
nor to change the clause into active voice:
Perhaps this David Li Kwok-po is related
by someone (or something)to the David Li Kwok-po who is on the board of Dow Jones, publishers of the "Far Eastern Economic Review".Perhaps someone (or something) relates this David Li Kwok-Po
to the David Li Kwok-po who is on the board of Dow Jones, publishers of the "Far Eastern Economic Review".
Forms such as this are therefore best regarded not as passive voice verbs but as forms of the verb be followed by adjectives ending in -ed or -en. There is in fact a continuum between "true" passive voice verb forms and such be + adjective structures.
This file gives details of this continuum between passive voice forms and be + adjective structures.
You may either read through the file page by page or jump to a specific page by clicking on one of the choices below.
Introduction
Three points on the continuum
