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Verbs Which Cannot Be Used in The Passive Voice
Verbs Which Cannot Be Used in The Passive Voice
Verbs Which Cannot Be Used in The Passive Voice
voice
Tags:
passive
state
Intransitive verbs
Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object) cannot be passive. For this
reason, the following sentences have no passive equivalents:
Certain state verbs are not used in the passive even if they are transitive.
Examples of such verbs are: belong, have (own), lack, resemble, suit etc. The
following sentences cannot be made passive:
Remember that some state verbs also have active meanings (e.g. measure,
fit and weigh). If these verbs are used with the active meaning, they can be
passive:
The truck weighed 2.5 tons. (Its weight was 2.5 tons.) (active sentence, stative
meaning, cannot be made passive)
They weighed the truck before and after loading the cargo. (They measured its
weight.) (active sentence, active meaning, can be made passive)
The truck was weighed before and after loading the cargo. (passive sentence)
There are state verbs which can normally be passive:
Some verbs are used in the active form with a passive meaning:
The company's new phone doesn't sell as well as the last one. (Fewer people buy
it.)
The sign on the door read "No entry". (That is what you read on it.)
The trousers have been mended, and now the hole doesn't show. (It can't be
seen.)
Active gerunds after need, require and want also have passive meanings:
Some verbs can be used in the passive form with an active meaning:
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Intransitive Verbs (used without objects)
go happen³ have¹