DEFINITIONS.
+Voice is that modification of the transitive verb which shows whether the subject names the actor or the thing acted upon+.
+The Active Voice shows that the subject names the actor+.
+The Passive Voice shows that the subject names the thing acted upon.+
The passive form is compound, and may be resolved into an asserting word (some form of the verb be) and an attribute complement (a past participle of a transitive verb). An expression consisting of an asserting word followed by an adjective complement or by a participle used adjectively may be mistaken for a verb in the passive voice.
+Examples.+—The coat was sometimes worn by Joseph (was worn— passive voice). The coat was badly worn (was—incomplete predicate, worn—adjective complement).
+Remark.+—To test the passive voice note whether the one named by the subject is acted upon, and whether the verb may be followed by by before the name of the agent without changing the sense.
+Direction.+—-Tell which of the following completed predicates may be treated as single verbs, and which should not be so treated:—
1. The lady is accomplished. 2. This task was not accomplished in a day. 3. Are you prepared to recite? 4. Dinner was soon prepared. 5. A shadow was mistaken for a foot-bridge. 6. You are mistaken. 7. The man was drunk before the wine was drunk. 8. The house is situated on the bank of the river. 9. I am obliged to you. 10. I am obliged to do this. 11. The horse is tired. 12. A fool and his money are soon parted. 13. The tower is inclined. 14. My body is inclined by years.
+Direction.+—Name all the transitive verbs in Lesson 78, and give their voice.
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LESSON 130.
COMPOSITION—VOICE.
The +object complement+ of a verb in the +active voice+ becomes the +subject+ when the verb is changed to the +passive voice.+
+Example.+—The Danes invaded England = England was invaded by the Danes.
+Remark.+—You will notice that in the first sentence the agent is made prominent; in the second sentence, the receiver.
+Direction.+—In each of these sentences change the voice of the transitive verb without altering the meaning of the sentence, and note the other changes that occur:—
1. Mercury, the messenger of the gods, wore a winged cap and winged shoes. 2. When the Saxons subdued the Britons, they introduced into England their own language, which was a dialect of the Teutonic, or Gothic. 3. My wife was chosen as her wedding dress was chosen, not for a fine, glossy surface, but for such qualities as would wear well. 4. Bacchus, the god of wine, was worshiped in many parts of Greece and Rome. 5. The minds of children are dressed by their parents as their bodies are dressed—in the prevailing fashion. 6. Harvey, an English physician, discovered that blood circulates. 7. The luxury of Capua, more powerful than the Roman legions, vanquished the victorious Carthaginians. 8. His eloquence had struck them dumb.
+Remark.+—Notice that the objective complement becomes the attribute complement when the verb is changed from the active to the passive voice.
9. That tribunal pronounced Charles a tyrant. 10. The town had nicknamed him Beau Seymour. 11. Even silent night proclaims my soul immortal. 12. We saw the storm approaching.
(Notice that the objective complement is here a participle.)
13. He kept his mother waiting. 14. We found him lying dead on the field. 15. We all believe him to be an honest man.
(Notice that the objective complement is here an infinitive phrase.)
16. Some, sunk to beasts, find pleasure end in pain. 17. Everybody acknowledged him to be a genius.
The +indirect,+ or dative, +object+ is sometimes made the +subject+ of a verb in the passive voice, while the object complement is retained after the verb. [Footnote: Some grammarians condemn this construction. It is true that it is a violation of the general analogies, or laws, of language; but that it is an idiom of our language, established by good usage, is beyond controversy.
Concerning the parsing of the noun following this passive, there is difference of opinion. Some call it an adverbial modifier, some call it a "retained object," and some say that it is a noun without grammatical construction. In "I offered him money," him represents the one to whom the act was directed, and money names the thing directly acted upon. In "He was offered money," the relation of the act to the person and to the thing is not changed; money still names the thing directly acted upon.]
+Example.+—The porter refused him admittance = He was refused admittance by the porter.
+Direction.+—Change the voice of the transitive verbs in these sentences, and note the other changes that occur:—
18. They were refused the protection of the law. 19. He was offered a pension by the government. 20. I was asked that question yesterday. 21. He told me to leave the room.
+Explanation.+—Here the infinitive phrase is the object complement, and (to) me is used adverbially. To leave the room = that I should leave the room.
22. I taught the child to read. 23. I taught the child reading. 24. They told me that your name was Fontibell.
+Direction.+—Change the following transitive verbs to the passive form, using first the regular and then the idiomatic construction:—
+Model.+—He promised me a present = A present was promised me (regular) = I was promised a present (idiomatic).
25. They must allow us the privilege of thinking for ourselves. 26. He offered them their lives if they would abjure their religion.
An intransitive verb is sometimes made transitive by the aid of a preposition.
+Example.+—All his friends laughed at him = He was laughed at (ridiculed) by all his friends.
+Remark.+—-Was laughed at may be treated as one verb. Some grammarians, however, would call at an adverb. The intransitive verb and preposition are together equivalent to a transitive verb in the passive voice.
+Direction.+—Change the voice of the following verbs:—
27. This artful fellow has imposed upon us all. 28. The speaker did not even touch upon this topic. 29. He dropped the matter there, and did not refer to it afterward.
+Remark.+—The following sentences present a peculiar idiomatic construction. A transitive verb which, in the active voice, is followed by an object complement and a prepositional phrase, takes, in the passive, the principal word of the phrase for its subject, retaining the complement and the preposition to complete its meaning; as, They took care of it, It was taken care of.
+Direction.+—Put the following sentences into several different forms, and determine which is the best:—
30. His original purpose was lost sight of (forgotten). [Footnote: Some
would parse of as an adverb relating to was lost, and sight as a
noun used adverbially to modify was lost; others would treat sight
as an object [complement] of was lost; others would call was lost
sight of a compound verb; and others, believing that the logical
relation of these words is not lost by a change of position, analyze
the expression as if arranged thus: Sight of his original purpose was
lost.]
31. Such talents should be made much of.
32. He was taken care of by his friends.
33. Some of his characters have been found fault with as insipid.
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LESSON 131.
MODIFICATIONS OF THE VERB—CONTINUED.
MODE, TENSE, NUMBER, AND PERSON.
+Introductory Hints.+—James walks. Here the walking is asserted as an actual fact. James may walk. Here the walking is asserted not as an actual, but as a possible, fact. If James walk out, he will improve. Here the walking is asserted only as thought of, without regard to its being or becoming either an actual or a possible fact. James, walk out. Here the walking is not asserted as a fact, but as a command—James is ordered to make it a fact. These different uses and forms of the verb constitute the modification which we call +Mode.+ The first verb is in the +Indicative Mode;+ the second in the +Potential Mode;+ the third in the +Subjunctive Mode;+ the fourth in the +Imperative Mode.+
For the two forms of the verb called the +Participle+ and the +Infinitive,+ see Lessons 37 and 40.
I walk. I walked. I shall walk. In these three sentences the manner of asserting the action is the same, but the time in which the action takes place is different. Walk asserts the action as going on in present time, and, as +Tense+ means time, is in the +Present Tense.+ Walked asserts the action as past, and is in the +Past Tense.+ Shall walk asserts the action as future, and is in the +Future Tense.+
I have walked out to-day. I had walked out when he called. I shall have walked out by to-morrow. Have walked asserts the action as completed at the present, and is in the +Present Perfect Tense.+ Had walked asserts the action as completed in the past, and is in the +Past Perfect Tense.+ Shall have walked asserts action to be completed in the future, and is in the +Future Perfect Tense.+
I walk. Thou walkest. He walks. They walk. In the second sentence walk is changed by adding +est+; in the third sentence, by adding +s.+ Verbs are said to agree in +Person+ and +Number+ with their subjects. But this agreement is not generally marked by a change in the form of the verb.