Using transitive and intransitive verbs

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Omitting the auxiliary in passive voice

This problem involves students using transitive verbs as if they were ergative. Some students omit the relevant form of the verb be, with the effect that the verbs look as though they are being used as ergative verbs:

He found the heroin in my bag so I [^] arrested in the airport.
(TeleNex Students)

I [^] deeply convinced that Ming Tsai was suffering torment from AIDS. (TeleNex Students)

In the second example, the student is treating convinced as a verb when in fact, it is functioning more like an adjective. It may also be that the student is treating the verb convince as if it could behave like the related verb think:

I thought that Ming Tsai was suffering torment from AIDS.

For further information about passive voice in general, see 09cover.gif (983 bytes) Using passive voice: Overview.

For further information about ergative verbs, see 04conten.gif (549 bytes) Using transitive and intransitive verbs: Using ergative verbs.

06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Introduction
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Omitting the direct object of a transitive verb
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Mistaking an intransitive verb for a transitive verb
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Thinking all verbs can take two objects
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Omitting the preposition after verbs
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Passive voice with intransitive verbs
06studpr.gif (552 bytes) Overuse of passive voice with ergative verbs
square.gif (58 bytes) Omitting the auxiliary in passive voice

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