Uses of the Passive Voice Peculiar to the English Language

There are cases when the use of the Passive Voice seems to Russian students peculiar because we find no analogous constructions in Russian. These cases are as follows:
1. T11. The verbs to accord, to advise, to allow, to ask, to give, to promise, to tell, etc. are used in the Passive Voice. These verbs always take an object expressed by a noun or an infinitive. The action expressed by the Passive Predicate passes on to the subject and the object. The subject corresponds to the Russian indirect object.
	He was granteda ten days’ leave. Ему предоставили десятидневный отпуск. They were told to wait. Имвелелиждать.
2. The Passive Voice is possible with intransitive verbs used with prepositions: to account for, to agree upon, to depend on, to laugh at, to send for, etc.
	The joke was laughed at.
	Над шуткой смеялись.
3. The following phraseological units can be used in the Passive Voice: to find fault with, to make fun of, to take care of, etc.
	The child is takencare of. О ребенке заботятся
4. Q 4. Q 4. Quite peculiar is the case when the subject of the passive predicate corresponds to the Russian adverbial modifier. This is the case with the intransitive verbs to liveandto sleepwith the prepositionin.
	The bed wasnotslept in. В постелине спали. The room is not lived in. Вкомнатене живут.
5. T Ther 5. There area number of transitive verbs in English which correspond to intransitive verbs in Russian. They are:to affect, to answer, to assist, to follow, to help, to influence, to join, to watch. These verbs naturally admit of the passive construction while their Russian equivalents cannot be used in the Passive Voice.
	The report was followedby a discussion. Задокладомпоследоваладискуссия.
Such sentences are rendered in Russian by indefinite-personal sentences (неопределенно-личныепредложения) unless the agent of the action is mentioned. In the latter case either the Active Voice is used, which occurs rather seldom, or the Passive Voice (consisting of the verb быть +краткаяформапричастиястрадательногозалога).
	At last an agreement was arrived at. Наконец пришли к соглашению.

Exercise104

Translate the following sentences from English into Russian. Mind peculiarusesofthe Passive Voice.

1. Nobody has been refused a hearing at the conference.

2. Some pressing problems will be discussed at the symposium.

3. Any deduction is usually preceded by a number of experiments and

observations.

4. The boy was assisted by his friends.

5. Some of the results were given in Table 2.

6. Has he been shown the documents?

7. We were told to pay a bill.

8. He was advised to change the climatic zone.

9. The patient was prescribed a strict diet.

10. We were informed that a new idea had been advanced at the closing

session.

11. The attraction between molecules is being neglected.

12. The chicken was eaten with appetite.

Exercise 105

Translate the following sentences from English into Russian bearing in mind the place of a preposition.

1. This date will be insisted on.

2. The results of the experiment can be relied upon.

3. The terms of the contract were agreed on.

4. Many materials now in common use werenoteventhought ofthirty years

ago.

5. The new discovery is being much spoken about.

6. Old traditions cannotbeeasilydone away with.

7. This quotation is often referred to.

8. The problem of non-traditional sources of energy has not been reported

on recently.

9. At last an agreement was arrived at.

10. His remarks were taken no notice of.

11. The parents were sent for.

12. His jokes are laughed at.

Exercise 106

Translate the following sentences from English into Russian.

1. The report was followed by a discussion.

2. The rate of reaction is influenced by many factors.

3. Some plants are quickly affected by cold.

4. The first question was succeeded by many others.

5. He was addressed to as “Sir”.

6. The criminal was being watched by several policemen.

7. Many interesting questions can be answered without a detailed knowledge

of the process.

8. She was greatly affected by the scene.

9. The annual meeting of shareholders was attended by all the members of

the Company Board.

10. My question has not been properly answered yet.

11. At last he realized he was not being watched.

12. The question has not been approached yet.

Exercise 107

Correct the mistakes in the sentences given below. Mind the use of the Passive Voice.

Example:

• I dressed my clothes.

got dressed

• I dressed my clothes.

1. I am interesting in his ideas.

2. How many people have you been invited to the party?

3. English are spoken in many countries.

4. We has this room decorated last year.

5. It will said that the company is in difficulties.

6. The winner was sent to a telegram.

7. I was sent an invitation beforehand.

8. Some trees have been planted the gardener.

9. Breakfast will be bring to your room.

10. Must the bill be paying in cash?

11. The house is being paint today.

12. They was decided to appoint a new manager.

13. Life on the Mississippi was written with Mark Twain.

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