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The Passive Double Object Verbs

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76 views16 pages

The Passive Double Object Verbs

Uploaded by

antunesleonorsousa
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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In the sentence:

They sent me two holiday photos.

There are two objects:

me holiday photos

indirect object direct object


When there are two objects in an active sentence,
there are two possible passive sentences.

I was sent two holiday photos.


(The indirect object becomes the subject of the passive
sentence. This is the more common form of the two.)

Two holiday photos were sent to me.

(The direct object becomes the subject of the passive


sentence. This is very uncommon except in academic and
scientific writing and quality journalism.)
Other verbs which can, in some contexts,
have two objects in the passive are:
give, take, bring, offer, hand, lend, send, promise, pay,
owe, tell, write, show, teach.
They gave me a book.
I was given a book.
A book was given to me.
They paid me the money that they owed me.
(Not “They paid me the bill.”)
I was paid the money I was owed.
The money that was owed to me was paid (to me).

(Buy is similar, but you buy something for someone, e.g.:


Presents were bought for the children.)
Ask looks similar in the active but
the subject does not become the passive indirect object:

Someone asked the prime minister a question.


The prime minister was asked a question.

(Not “A question was asked to the prime minister.”)

In the case of call, make and do,


the indirect object does not become the subject
and the preposition is for, not to:

They called me a taxi. → A taxi was called for me.


They made me a cake. → A cake was made for me.
They did me the job. → The job was done for me.
PRACTICE
William sent Julia a love letter.

was sent to Julia by William.


A love letter _________
_____
Julia was sent a love letter by William.
They offered Peter a solution to the problem.

was offered a solution to the problem.


Peter ___________
A solution to the problem ___________
was offered to Peter.
My parents have bought us tickets to the concert!

have been bought tickets to the concert by


We __________ my parents
____________.
______
Tickets to the concert ________________
have been bought for us by my parents.
Fred lent me a car for the weekend.

by Fred for the weekend.


I was lent a car _______
________
A car ________
was lent to me by Fred for the weekend.
My mother told me the good news!

by my mother
I was told the good news ____________.
_________
The good news ________
was told to me by my mother.
Varun is famous for his TV series on luxury travel. He shows viewers
splendid restaurants and hotels on his programme.

On his programme _________________


viewers are shown splendid restaurants and hotels.
are shown to viewers on his programme.
Splendid restaurants and hotels ___________________
John brought us a nice dessert when he came to dinner.

was brought to us by Paul when he came to dinner.


A nice dessert ___________
We were
____________
brought a nice dessert by Paul when he came to dinner.
My uncle had told her the story of the old castle.

had been told the story of the old castle by my uncle.


She ____________
______________________
The story of the old castle had been told to her by my uncle.
Kevin promised me the moon if I married him!

was promised the moon by Kevin if I married him.


I ____________
_________
The moon was promised to me by Kevin if I married him.

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