Passive 3
Born, get + passive, and verbs with two objects in the passive
Verbs with Two Objects
Some verbs can take two objects. Look at give:
The manager gave me a new project.
“Me” is object 1 (the person). “A new project” is object 2 (the thing). Because there are two objects, you can make two passive sentences:
- I was given a new project (by the manager).
- A new project was given to me (by the manager).
Other verbs that work this way: ask, offer, pay, show, tell.
When you use these verbs in the passive, you usually start with the person:
- I‘ve been offered the position, but I don’t think I want it.
- You will be given plenty of time to prepare the report.
- I didn’t see the original contract, but I was shown a copy.
- Tom has an easy job — he’s paid a lot of money to do very little.
I Don’t Like Being …
The passive of doing / seeing etc. is being done / being seen etc.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| I don’t like people telling me what to do. | I don’t like being told what to do. |
| Somebody took me to the office on my first day. | I remember being taken to the office on my first day. |
| People keep him waiting. | He hates being kept waiting. |
- We left the building without being seen. (= without anybody seeing us)
- She finished the project without being asked for help.
I Was Born …
We say I was born (not I am born):
- I was born in Chicago.
- Where were you born? (not
Where are you born?)
Use the present only when you talk about babies in general:
- How many babies are born every day?
Get + Past Participle
You can use get instead of be for the passive:
| With be | With get |
|---|---|
| Nobody was hurt in the accident. | Nobody got hurt in the accident. |
| I‘m not invited to many events. | I don’t get invited to many events. |
| Liz wasn’t offered the job. | Liz didn’t get offered the job. |
Use get only when something happens — an event or a change. You cannot use get for states:
- Jessica is liked by everybody. (not
gets liked— this is not a happening) - Very little was known about the project. (not
got known)
Get is more common in informal or spoken English. Be works in all situations.
Some common get expressions (not passive in meaning):
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get married / get divorced | marry / divorce |
| get dressed / get changed | put on clothes / change clothes |
| get lost | not know where you are |
Quick Self-Check
I tried to reach the project lead. I called her office, but I _____ that she was in a meeting.
Select your answer:
The new hire hates _____ waiting for approvals.
Select your answer:
Which year _____ you born in?
Select your answer:
There was an accident at the warehouse, but nobody _____.
Select your answer:
You will need to use the new software. Have you _____ how it works?
Select your answer: