Using passive voice
|
Students' problems | page 5 of 6 |
Passive voice with attitude verbs
There are two kinds of attitude verbs: those in which in active
voice 
the person who feels
the emotion is the subject (the like type), and those in which in active voice the
thing which stimulates the emotion is the subject (the please type).
It is perhaps not surprising that students sometimes get the two types of verbs mixed up in the following ways:
 |
Students might use a please type verb with the person as subject but in active instead of passive voice: |
Mrs Wong wanted to take a shower. "Ah!" she called loudly. She [^] surprised to see a snake in the bath. So, she called the police and said, "There's a snake in my bathroom." The police heard this and asked the zookeeper to catch the snake.
The police and the zookeeper went to Mrs Wong's home and she took them to the bathroom. Mrs Wong [^] frightened and the zookeeper looked at the snake closely. (TeleNex Students)
… She was surprised to see a snake in the bath …
… Mrs Wong was frightened and the zookeeper looked at the snake closely.I [^] greatly interested in the French course I took last year.
(TeleNex Students)
I was greatly interested in the French course I took last year.
(TeleNex Students)
|
They might use a like type verb with the person as subject but in passive instead of active voice: |
Squash is a popular new sport in Hong Kong. I think there are many students who would be liked it. (TeleNex Students)
Squash is a popular new sport in Hong Kong. I think there are many students who would like it.
|
They might use a please type verb with the stimulus of the emotion as subject but in passive instead of active voice: |
The problems of using English as the medium of instruction are concerned by many people. (TeleNex Students)
The problems of using English as the medium of instruction concern many people.
For further information about the use of passive voice with verbs representing
attitudes, see 
Using passive voice: Passive voice
with attitude verbs.
Introduction
Passive voice with attitude verbs
