Using passive voice

Passive voice with ditransitive verbs

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Using ditransitive verbs

Some verbs represent events that directly involve three persons or things, represented in active clauses by the subject and two objects - a direct object and an indirect object:

   Au             gave            Chan              $30,000. (SCMP 8/10/92)
subject                                 indirect object        direct object

Such verbs are known as ditransitive verbs.

Ditransitive verbs can normally have two passive versions, one in which the direct object becomes the subject:

$30,000 was given to Chan (by Au).

and another in which the indirect object becomes the subject:

Chan was given $30,000 (by Au).

For further information about such verbs, see Using transitive and intransitive verbs: Transitive verbs with two objects.