Unit 2
Grammar
Sentence Elements and their Realisation
According to the new grammarians,
sentences of English consist of five different types of units. These units are
known as sentence elements. Depending on the sentence pattern being used, some
of them are mandatory while others are optional. These elements are discussed
below:
1.
The Subject:- The subject is the element which precedes the verb or verb phrase and
determines the subject-verb concord (agreement). In an assertive sentence, it
is generally the first element in the sentence. It occurs after the auxiliary
verb in a question and is normally ellipted (dropped) in an imperative sentence
and occurs after let in sentences beginning with ‘let’. In optative sentences,
it comes after the initial ‘may’.
It is realised by a noun or noun
phrase, a noun clause, a pronoun or any other structure having the force of a
noun.
2. The Object – The object is
the element which generally succeeds the verb or verb phrase.
We use the same kind of structures to realise the object as we do to realise the subject. That means that we can use a noun, a pronoun, a noun phrase, a noun clause or any other structure having the force of a noun as the object. There are two kinds of objects – the direct object and the indirect object. When we have both of them in a sentence, the indirect object normally precedes the direct object. However, the indirect object can be moved behind the direct object. But if we do that, we have to use a preposition, which is either ‘to’ or ‘for’ depending on the sense, before it and thus change it into a prepositional phrase.
3.
The Verb – The verb is the word that stands for the happening of some kind
of action or activity. In an assertive sentence, it occurs after the subject.
In a question, the auxiliary has to be placed before the subject. In an
imperative sentence, it occurs sentence initially but in negative commands, the
auxiliary ‘do’ is used initially, which is then followed by the negative
element ‘not’ and the verb. The frequency adverbs ‘never’ and ‘always’ precede
the verb if they are there in the sentence.
To realise this element, we have to use a verb which may sometimes be preceded by one or more auxiliaries. The verb may be just a linking verb or a verb standing for some kind of action or activity. In the latter case, it may be transitive (followed by an object or objects) or intransitive (not followed by an object). If transitive, it may be mono-transitive (i.e. requiring only the direct object, or di-transitive (i.e. requiring a direct as well as an indirect object. It may even be complex-transitive, which requires an object complement to follow the object.
To realise this element, we have to use a verb which may sometimes be preceded by one or more auxiliaries. The verb may be just a linking verb or a verb standing for some kind of action or activity. In the latter case, it may be transitive (followed by an object or objects) or intransitive (not followed by an object). If transitive, it may be mono-transitive (i.e. requiring only the direct object, or di-transitive (i.e. requiring a direct as well as an indirect object. It may even be complex-transitive, which requires an object complement to follow the object.
4. The
complement – The complement is the element which gives some kind of information
about the subject or the object. If it gives us information about the subject,
it is called the subject complement and occurs immediately after the copula
(linking verb). If it gives information about the object, it is called the
object complement and occurs immediately after the direct object.
The complement is characteristically either an adjective/adjective phrase/adjective clause or a noun/noun phrase/noun clause.
5. Adverbial – The adverbial is
the element which is normally placed at the end but may sometimes be placed in
the middle or at the beginning of a sentence. In all but two of the basic
sentence patterns, it is an optional element. In the two patterns where it is
mandatory, it always an adverbial place. However, we can add any number of
optional adverbials of various types to all the seven basic sentence patterns
of the language.
The adverbial is generally a an adverb or adverb phrase but it can also be a noun, a noun phrase, a prepositional phrase or an adverb clause.
Seven Basic Sentence Patterns of
English
1. Subject + Verb + Subject Complement.
That boy is my friend.
This man is very honest.
The verb used in this pattern is always a copula (linking verb). Most of the time, it is some form of BE. But sometimes verbs like get, become, turn, prove etc., saying what the subject has changed into or proved to be, may also be used as copula.
2. Subject + Verb + Adverbial of Place
My brother is at the university.
He is in his bed.
The verb used as copula in this pattern is always some form of BE or a verb which means to become or to prove to be.
3. Subject + Verb
The baby is sleeping.
We are playing.
The verb used in this pattern is an intransitive one.
4. Subject + Verb +
Direct Object
I am reading a
book.
The boys are playing hockey.
The verb used in this pattern is a
mono-transitive verb.
5. Subject + Verb +
Indirect Object + Direct Object
My father gave me a present. (My father gave a present to me.)
I bought my son a new skirt. (I bought
a new skirt for my daughter.)
The verb used is a di-transitive verb.
6. Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object complement
Marriage has made him happy. I called him wise.
They have elected him the chairman. He
calls me brother.
The verb in this pattern is a complex
transitive one.
7. Subject + Verb
+ Direct Object + Adverbial of Place
I keep my books in a book-case. The boy put the bag on the table.
Here, the verb used is a mono-transitive one
Expansion of Sentences
Any of the above patterns can be
expanded to have longer sentences by adding any number of optional adverbials
of various types or by expanding the mandatory elements.
i.
We can expand the subject or the object by pre-modifying or
post-modifying the noun. To pre-modify a noun we can use
an article (a man or the man or an
inkpot),
an adjective (a noble man),
a noun (a factory worker),
a present participle (a loving mother)
or a past participle (a deserted lover).
The pre-modifier can further be
modified by using an adverb before it: A very noble man or an extremely
industrious factory worker
We can also use more than one
pre-modifiers.
To post modify the noun, we can use
a prepositional phrase
The boy on the last bench
or a present participle phrase,
The boy sitting on the last bench
a past participle phrase,
The boy seated on the last bench or a
man deserted by his fiends
or an adjective clause
The boy who is sitting on the last
bench.
ii. The verb can be expanded by using one or more auxiliaries.
iii. The complement can be expanded in the same way as the subject or object if it is a noun.
If it is an adjective, it can be
expanded by using one or more adverbials to pre-modify it.
iv. The adverbial can be expanded by using adverbs as pre-modifiers before it if it is an adverb.
If it is a prepositional phrase, the
noun in it can be modified in the same way as a noun used as subject, object or
complement.
We can also expand a sentence by adding
as many adverbials as we want.
Moreover, there is no limit on the
number of pre-modifiers and post- modifiers of nouns, adjectives or adverbs.
Formation of Tenses
|
Sr.
No.
|
Name of
the Tense
|
..Verb
in Active Voice
|
..Verb
in Passive Voice..
|
|
1
|
Present
Indefinite
|
V-I or
(do +
V- I in interrogative &
negative
sentences)
if
sub.is 1st or 2nd
person
or 3rd person
plural
0r plural noun
V-I
+s/es or (does + V- I in interrogative & negative
sentences)
if sub.
Is 3rd person
singular
or singular noun
|
Is/am/are
+ V-III
|
|
2
|
Present
Continuous
|
Is/am/are
+ V+ing
|
Is/am/are
+ being + V-III
|
|
3
|
Present
Perfect
|
Has/have
+ V-III
|
Has/have
+ been + V-III
|
|
4
|
Present
Perfect Continuous
|
Has
been/have been + V+ing
|
No
passive voice
|
|
5
|
Past
Indefinite
|
V-II
or
Did +
V-I in interrogative or negative sentences
|
Was/were
+ V-III
|
|
6
|
Past
Continuous
|
Was/were
+ V + ing
|
Was/were
+ being + V-III
|
|
7
|
Past
Perfect
|
Had +
V-III
|
Had
been + V-III
|
|
8
|
Past
Perfect Continuous
|
Had
been + V +ing
|
No
passive voice
|
|
9
|
Future
Indefinite
|
Will
+ V-I
or
Shall
+ V-I (with I & We)
|
Will
be + V-III
Shall
be + V-III
|
|
10
|
Future
Continuous
|
Will
be + V + ing or
Shall
be + V + ing
|
No
passive voice
|
|
11
|
Future
Perfect
|
Will
have + V-III or
Shall
have + V-III
|
Will
have been + V-III or
Shall
have been + V-III
|
|
12
|
Future
Perfect Continuous
|
Will
have been + V + ing or
Shall
have been + V + ing
|
No
passive voice
|
Usage of Tenses
Given below are some guidelines for the
use of tenses and their different aspects:-
1. Present
Indefinite Tense – This tense is used
i. To describe an action always or generally or frequently or seldom or never performed in the present time without reference to its completion or non-completion. The action need not be in progress at the time of speaking.
ii.
To describe universal, scientific or geographical truths
iii.
In running commentaries while describing momentary actions
iv. For creating a
dramatic effect while narrating a story
v. To refer to future
actions which have already been planned and their time decided.
vi.
In subordinate adverb clauses referring to time or condition when the
main clause is in the future tense
vii. To describe
performative actions i.e when we are performing an action and at the same time
explaining what we are doing
viii. To describe an action
of a short duration which is performed while another action of longer duration
is being performed
2. Present
Continuous Tense – This tense is used
i. To refer to actions
which are in progress at the time of speaking
ii. To describe an action
of a longer duration during the course of which another action of a short
duration is performed. The other action which takes a longer time is described
using the present continuous tense.
iii.
While speaking approvingly or disapprovingly of a habitual action
iv. To refer to a future
action which has already been planned
3. Present Perfect Tense – This tense is
used
i. To refer to actions which have recently been completed
ii. To refer to actions
which happened in the distant past but have present relevance in the sense that
they can happen again in the future or are affecting the present in some way
iii. Sometimes to refer to
actions which have been happening for some time but only with reference to the
past. When it is used to describe such actions, it is not clear whether the
action is still in progress or has come to an end. Present Perfect continuous
is also used to describe such actions and when that is done, it is clear that
the action has been in progress for some time but has not yet been completed.
4. Present Perfect
Continuous Tense – This tense is used
i. To describe actions which have been in progress for some time and are still in progress. When this tense is used to describe such actions, it is clear that the action has not yet been completed. While doing so, a reference to the time duration for which the action has already been in progress or the point of time when the action started is always made. The reference to the duration or period of time is preceded by the preposition FOR and the reference to the point of time when the action started is preceded by the preposition SINCE.
ii. We can also sometimes
use this tense to refer to what somebody has always or never or seldom been
doing as, for example, in the sentence: He has always been helping me We have
been visiting some hill station every year.
But when we do so, reference to time
preceded by since or for is not required.
5. Past Indefinite
Tense – This tense is used to
i. To refer to actions which happened at some point of time in the past
ii. To refer to habitual
or routine action in the past
iii. To narrate a story so
long as we go on describing actions in the temporal sequence in which they
happened. But if we have to go back in time at some point to refer to something
which had happened before the stage that we have already reached, we have to
use the past perfect tense.
iv. In a conditional
clause which refers to an unreal or supposed condition referring to the present
time the fulfilment of which is improbable. The main clause in such a sentence
has the modal verb would, could or might followed by the first form of the verb
or its passive voice.
6. Past Continuous Tense – This tense is
used
i. To refer to action which were in progress at a given point of time in the past
ii. To refer to actions
which happened while another action of a longer duration was in progress in the
past
7. Past Perfect Tense – This tense is
used
i. To refer to actions which had been completed before a given point of time in the past which we have in mind or which has explicitly been stated
ii. To refer to the
earlier action while describing two sequential actions in the past.
8. Past Perfect
Continuous Tense – This tense is used
i. To describe actions which had been in progress for some time in the past and were still in progress at the time of which we are speaking. When this tense is used to describe such actions, it is clear that the action had not yet been completed by the time in question. While doing so, a reference to the duration of time for which the action had already been in progress or the point of time when the action had started is always made. The reference to the duration or period of time is preceded by the preposition FOR and the reference to the point of time when the action had started is preceded by the preposition SINCE.
ii. We can also sometimes
use this tense to refer to what somebody had always or never or seldom or
frequently been doing as, for example, in the sentence: He had always been
helping those in need or We had been visiting that temple every year.
But when we do so, reference to time
preceded by since or for is not required.
9. Future Indefinite Tense – This tense is
used to refer to actions which are expected
or scheduled to happen at some time in the future
without reference to their
completion or incompletion.
10. Future Continuous Tense – This tense is
used to refer to an action which is expected to be in progress at a given time
in the future.
.
11. Future Perfect Tense – This tense is used
to refer to actions which are expected to be completed by or before a given
time in the future.
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense – This tense is
used to refer to actions which are expected to be happening for some time at a
given time in the future but not completed.
3. Active and Passive Voice
When to use active voice and when to use passive voice
If the subject of the sentence is the AGENT i.e the person, animal or
any other force performing the action, we use the active voice.
But if the subject is the entity affected or effected (brought into
existence) by the action, we have to use the passive voice.
Change of Voice
A simple formula for changing the voice of a verb
Active to Passive – While changing the voice of any verb
from active to passive, insert a form of BE before the main verb and change the
main verb into the third form. The form of BE used for the purpose is the same
as the form of the main verb in the active voice.
Passive to Active – While changing the voice from passive
to active, drop the form of BE immediately before the main verb and then change
the main verb into the form of the BE which has been dropped.
Other Changes
1. The object in the
active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.
2. The subject in the
active voice is moved to a place behind the verb or the adverbial and changed
into a prepositional phrase normally preceded by the preposition BY.
3. It may sometimes be
dropped altogether if a reference to it is considered unnecessary.
Practical Problems related to Voice Change
1. Identification of subject and object
I. While trying to change the voice from active to passive, students often err in identifying the subject or the object. The most common mistake is that they pick up just a noun and ignore the pre-modification and the post-modification. They have to remember that the pre-modifiers and post-modifiers are also a part of the subject or object.
The second common error has been noticed especially with relation to the
identification of the object. At school, while teaching the change of voice,
students are given sentences which contain a simple noun phrase or a pronoun as
the subject or the object. Generally, there is no adverbial present. This gives
the students the impression that the object is the noun or noun phrase found at
the end of the sentences. So they sometimes mistake the noun or noun phrase in
the adverbial to be the object.
To avoid errors of this kind, they should remember two things.
i. A. The subject
normally is the nominal structure before the verb and it is the answer to one
of the two questions: WHO or WHAT.
B. The object normally comes immediately after the verb and answers one
of these questions: Whom or what.
ii. The object is not to
be confused with the adverbial which is an answer to questions like where,
when, why, how, on what condition etc.
The writer of this novel has painted the picture of the
contemporary society in a very realistic manner.
The picture of the contemporary society has been painted in a
very realistic manner by the author of this novel.
In the above sentence, the phrases in bold type are the subject and the
object respectively. But students often mistake the subject to be either ‘the
author’ only and leave out the post modification ‘of this novel’. Or more
seriously still, they treat ‘this novel’ as the subject, not realising that the
head of this noun phrase is ‘the author’. Similarly, they also commit the
mistake of taking ‘the contemporary society’ or sometimes even ‘a very
realistic manner’ as the object.
II. Two objects: Sometimes, the sentence contains two objects – the direct object and the indirect object.
My father gave me a beautiful present on my birthday.
The first thing to remember in this sentence is that the object is not ‘my
birthday’.
We have two objects here:
i.
the direct object ‘a beautiful present’, the answer to what
ii.
and the indirect object ‘me’, the
answer to whom
To passivize this sentence, either of the two can be made the subject.
It is safer to make the indirect object ‘me’ the subject because in that
case, we will not be required to use a preposition before the other object.
We have the choice to make the direct object ‘a beautiful present’ the
subject but in that case, we shall have to insert a preposition, which is
either ‘to’ or ‘for’ before the indirect object. There is a risk that we may
forget to insert the preposition or choose the wrong one.
III. Subject + verb + indirect object +
direct object
Versus
Subject + verb + direct object + object complement
When the object complement is a noun or noun phrase, these two patterns
have a superficial resemblance and we may confuse the one for another. In both
cases, we have two nous/noun phrases behind the verb.
i. When we have two
objects, the two nouns/noun phrases are not co-referential i.e. they refer to
two different entities. Here, as stated above, either of the two objects can be
made the subject.
My mother bought me a new shirt.
I was bought a shirt by my mother.
A shirt was bought for me by my mother.
Here, ‘me’ and ‘a new shirt’ are not co-referential.
ii. But when we have a
direct object followed by the object complement, the two nouns/noun phrases are
co-referential i.e. they refer to the same entity.
I called him a cheat.
Here, ‘him’ and ‘a cheat’ are co-referential because both of them refer
to the same person.
Again, in the sentence
‘The brave act made the boy a hero.’
the phrases ‘the boy’ and ‘a hero’ refer to the same person.
In such sentences, only the first noun/noun phrase is the object, the
other one being the object complement. Therefore, only the first of them can be
used as the subject in the passive voice.
He was called a cheat by me.
The boy was made a hero by the brave act.
IV. Questions: We have two kinds of
questions: the yes/ no questions, which begin with a helping verb and the wh……
questions which begin with a question word like why, when, who, how etc.
i. Yes/No questions: The only thing
we have to remember in the case of these questions is that the helping verb has
to come before the subject in the changed voice also.
Does she love her brothers?
Are her brothers loved by her?
ii. Wh……….
Questions: Wh……… questions are of three types:
a. Those beginning with an interrogative
adverb – where, when, why, how, wherefore etc. :
These questions can be handled in the same way as the yes/no questions
because they have the same structure as the yes/no questions except that an
interrogative adverb is present before the helping verb. Just ignore the
interrogative adverb. You are left with a yes/no question. Change its voice and
then place the Interrogative adverb before the helping verb.
b. Those beginning with an interrogative
pronoun – Who, whom, to whom, what, by whom
We have to be more careful when dealing with such questions. The reason
is that in these sentences, the question word itself functions sometimes as the
subject and sometimes as the object.
Irrespective of whether it is the subject or the object, the question
word always occurs at the beginning of the sentence. So, we have to decide
whether it is the subject or the object.
When the question word is who or whom, it is not difficult
to make this decision because ‘who’ is always used as the
subject and ‘whom’ as the object.
However, when we have a preposition at the end of a sentence or after
the verb which is then followed by an adverbial, ‘who’ is
sometimes used as object by the native speakers.
The most reliable way to make this decision is to see whether the verb
phrase is divided into two parts and a noun/noun phrase or pronoun inserted
between these two parts. If it is, this noun/noun phrase is the subject and the
question word is the object. If the verb phrase is not divided into two parts
by any noun or pronoun, the question word is the subject and the object is then
found after the verb.
While changing the voice of these sentences, the question word does not
move from its place. But it changes its role.
If it is subject, ‘BY’ is placed before it and it
becomes a prepositional phrase. So WHO becomes BY WHOM and WHOM becomes WHO when
the voice changes. Similarly, WHAT becomes BY WHAT.
The noun phrase which is after the verb in this case is moved to a place
between the two parts into which the verb is divided for the purpose.
If the question word is the object, WHO remains WHO and What remains WHAT.
The noun/noun phrase which is between the two parts of the verb is moved behind
the verb phrase and the preposition by is placed before it.
What did he buy yesterday? What was
bought by him yesterday?
Here, the subject was ‘he’ and ‘what’ was the object.
What has improved his financial condition?
By what has his financial condition been improved?
Who will bell the cat? By whom will the cat be
belled?
Who are you talking to? Who is
being talked to by you?
In these sentences, the question word was the subject in the active
voice.
While changing the voice from passive to active, the reverse process is
followed. ‘By what’ is changed to ‘what’,
and ‘by whom’ to ‘who’.
c. Questions beginning with an
interrogative adjective – what, which, whose, how much, how many:
These questions are much like the questions beginning with an
interrogative pronoun. The question word is accompanied by some noun and the
two together function as the subject or the object just as the interrogative
pronoun does in the questions discussed in b. above.
Whether the phrase containing the question word and the noun is the
subject or the object can be decided in the same way as in the case of
sentences beginning with an interrogative pronoun. If there is a noun/noun
phrase or pronoun between the two parts of the verb phrase, that noun/noun
phrase/pronoun is the subject and the question phrase at the beginning is the
object. If there is no noun/noun phrase or pronoun inserted between the two
parts of the verb phrase, the question phrase at the beginning is the subject
and the noun/noun phrase or pronoun that succeeds the verb is the object.
If the Question phase is the subject, ‘by’ is placed before it and the
noun phrase behind the verb phrase is moved and inserted between the two
parts into which the verb phrase is divided to be made the subject.
If the question word is the object, the noun/noun phrase or pronoun
inserted between the two parts of the verb phrase is moved behind the verb
phrase and the preposition ‘by’ is placed before it to change it into a
prepositional phrase.
When this is done, the question phrase at the beginning automatically
becomes the subject.
What steps has the government taken to check prices?
What steps have been taken by the government to
check prices?
How many men can dig a well in twenty days?
By how many men can a well be dug in
twenty days?
V. Prepositional and phrasal verbs – Sometimes, the verb
in the sentence may be a prepositional or phrasal verb in which the verb is
followed by a preposition or adverbial particle which is a part of the verb
phrase. In a case like this, the only care that has to be taken is that the
preposition should not be forgotten or moved from its place.
I have disposed of my old car. My old
car has been disposed of by me.
The doctor should be called in by us immediately.
We should call in the doctor immediately.
VI. Imperative Sentences – Imperative
sentences can be of two types: those which contain an object and those which do
not contain any object.
a. When the object is there, we can
passivize the sentence in two ways: i. By using ‘let’ and changing the object
into the subject
Open the door
Let the door be opened.
In negative sentences, the word ‘do’ before ‘not’ is dropped.
Do not tell a lie.
Let a lie not be told.
Ii. By
passivizing the unseen part of the sentence i.e. by adding ‘You
are ordered/requested/advised/told to’ before the sentence
without making any change in the given sentence.
You are ordered to open the door
When we do so, we are changing the unstated part of the sentence ‘I
order/request/advise/tell you to’ into passive voice without touching the part
which is stated.
If we have a word like please or kindly or pray before the verb, it is
dropped after using ‘You are requested to’.
Please lend me some money. – You are requested to lend me some money.
If we have a word like ‘Never’ or ‘always’ at the beginning of the
sentence, ‘to’ is placed after this word.
Always speak the truth. – You are advised always to speak the truth.
b. When there is no object, we can use only the
second of the two methods given above. Because it is not possible to change the
voice of the stated part due to the absence of the object, we have to change
the voice of the unstated part.
Go away. - You are ordered to
go away.
If we have a word like please or kindly or pray before the verb, this
word is dropped after using ‘You are requested to.
Please hide behind the door. – You are requested to hide behind the
door.
Get out of the room at once. – You are ordered to get out of the room at
once.
In the case of negative commands, ‘do’ is dropped and ‘to’ is placed after
‘not’ or ‘never’
If we have a word like ‘never’ or ‘always’ at the beginning of the
sentence, ‘to’ is placed after this word.
Always speak politely. - You are advised always to speak politely.
VII. Imperative sentences beginning with
‘Let’:
These sentences also may or may not contain the object.
a. If the object is there
Let us play football.
Let football be played by us.
As in all passive voice sentences, the by phrase containing the subject
of the active voice sentence may be dropped if it is not considered necessary.
Let us repair the road.
Let the road be repaired.
b. If there is no object
If there is no object, we can use the following methods to change the
voice from active to passive:
A. When let stands for giving permission
Let the child play now.
i. You are advised to
let the child play now.
ii. It is suggested that
the child (should) be allowed to play now.
iii. The child should be
allowed to play now.
Let me rest for some time.
1. You are requested to let me rest for
some time.
2. It is requested that I should be
allowed to rest for some time.
3. I should be allowed to rest for some
time.
B. When let stands for a proposal
Active:
Let us rest for some time before starting the next exercise.
Passive:
It is proposed that we should rest for some time
before starting the next exercise.
VIII. Optative sentences
A. When the object is there
May God bless you with long life!
May you be blessed with long life! Or
It is prayed that God may bless you with long life.
B. When there is no object
May you live long!
It is prayed that you may live long.
i. When ‘May’ is dropped
Long live the king!
It is prayed that the king may live long.
God bless you!
It is prayed that God may bless you.
IX. Changing the voice from passive to active
While changing the voice from passive to active, we have to follow the
reverse process. But there are some problems which students often come across
that must be mentioned here.
A. When the words after ‘by’ refer to time or place and not to the agent
There is a widespread wrong impression that whatever comes after the
word ‘by’ is the agent and it should be made the subject in the active voice.
Sometimes, the words that come after ‘by’ refer to time or place and are
adverbials. Therefore, before deciding to make them the subject in the active
voice, be sure that those words refer to the agent who is responsible for the
action.
The bag was placed by the wall. (Here, it is not the wall which has
placed the bag. These words refer to the place where the bag was placed. So,
they cannot become the subject.)
B. When the agent is missing and has to be supplied by us
In most of the passive sentences, the agent is missing because it is
often dropped when it is felt that it is not necessary to mention it. In the
sentence given in A too, the agent i.e. the person who put the bag by the wall
is not mentioned. In such cases, we have to think of the possible agent and
make it the subject in the active voice. In other words, the subject has to be
supplied by us.
The bag was placed near the wall.
The boy placed the bag near the wall.
The work will be finished by 4 pm.
We shall finish the work by 4 pm.
The murderer has been sentenced to death.
The judge (court) has sentenced the murderer to death.
The guilty people will be arrested soon.
The police will arrest the guilty people soon.
C. Passive sentences beginning with the word let
Passive sentences beginning with the word ‘let also create problems
sometimes.
i. When ‘by’ followed by the agent is present in the
sentences, there is no problem.
Let the price be fixed by the government.
Let the government fix the price.
ii. When the agent is not mentioned, we have two
options.
a. We can supply the agent.
Let the crop be harvested.
Let the crop be harvested (by the farmers).
Now
we can change the sentence into AV retaining ’Let’.
Let the farmers harvest the crop.
b. We can drop ‘let’ and change the sentence
into an imperative sentence without ‘let’.
Harvest the crop.
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