Higher Lessons in English Part 68

+Remark.+--To test the pa.s.sive 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._

LESSON 130.

COMPOSITION--VOICE.

The +object complement+ of a verb in the +active voice+ becomes the +subject+ when the verb is changed to the +pa.s.sive 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 G.o.ds, 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 G.o.d of wine, was wors.h.i.+ped 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 fas.h.i.+on.

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 pa.s.sive voice.

9. That tribunal p.r.o.nounced 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 pa.s.sive 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 a.n.a.logies, 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 pa.s.sive, 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 pa.s.sive 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 pa.s.sive 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.