Compilation of unique passive sentence structures in English

Special passive sentence with two objects 

In English, there are many verbs followed by two objects (often referring to people and things) in the form:

Verb + someone + something

For verbs with two such objects, we can also transform them into passive voice in two ways, with each object becoming the subject. This gives us two different passive sentences with the same meaning. 

S + V + Oi + Od

• => Cách 1: S + tobe + Ved/ cột 3 + Od
• => Cách 2:  S + tobe + Ved/ cột 3 + giới từ + Oi

Trong đó: Oi là tân ngữ gián tiếp, Od là tân ngữ trực tiếp.

For example: 

Special passive sentence structure: V + V-ing

In cases of special passive sentences, there exists a structure as follows: 

Dạng chủ động: V + somebody + V-ing + something
=> Dạng bị động: V + something + being + Ved/ cột 2 (by somebody)

Các động từ áp dụng với trường hợp này là: Love, like, dislike, mind, regret, deny, involve, imagine, admit, fancy, hate,…

For example: 

• I don’t mind you turning on the light. (Tôi không phiền khi bạn bật đèn.)
• => I don’t mind the light being turned on. 

Special passive sentence with perceptual verbs

Đối với các động từ chỉ cảm giác (verb of perception) như: See, watch, look, smell, hear, notice,… ta có cấu trúc câu bị động đặc biệt như sau:

Dạng chủ động: S + V(p) + somebody + V-ing/ to V.
=> Dạng bị động: S + tobe + Ved/ cột 3 + V-ing/ to V.

For example: 

• Someone saw him breaking into the bank. (Ai đó đã nhìn thấy anh ấy đột nhập vào ngân hàng.) => He was seen breaking into the bank. 
• I heard her talking to her husband. (Tôi nghe thấy cô ấy nói chuyện với chồng.) => She was heard talking to her husband. 

Special double passive sentence

In the case of a double passive sentence, some common verbs include: Think, believe, expect, know, find, consider, say, understand,… Double passive sentences encompass the following situations: 

Trường hợp 1: Động từ V1 (câu chủ động) chia ở các thì hiện tại: thì hiện tại đơn, hiện tại tiếp diễn, hiện tại hoàn thành.

S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2
=> It is + V1-p2 + that + S2 + V2
=> S2 + am/ is/ are + V1-p2 + to V2

(In case V2 in active sentences in present simple or future simple tense)

=> S2 + am/ is/ are + V1-p2 + to have V2-p2

(In case V2 in active sentences in past simple or present perfect tense)

For example: 

Many employees believe that their parents are very wealthy. (Nhiều nhân viên tin rằng cha mẹ của họ rất giàu.) 

• → It is believed that their parents are very rich. 
• → Their parents are believed to be very rich. 

People believe that she has passed away. (Mọi người nghĩ rằng cô ấy đã qua đời.)

• → It is thought that she died. 
• → She is thought to have died. 

Trường hợp 2: Động từ V1 (câu chủ động) chia ở các thì quá khứ: thì quá khứ đơn, quá khứ hoàn thành, quá khứ tiếp diễn.

S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2
=> It was + V1-p2 + that + S2 + V2
=> S2 + was/ were + V1-p2 + to V2

(In case V2 in active sentences in past simple)

=> S2 + was/ were + V1-p2 + to have V2-p2

(In case V2 in active sentences in past perfect)

E.g:

People believed that she had passed away. (Người ta tin rằng cô ấy đã chết.)

• → It was thought that she died. 
• → She was thought to die. 

Many individuals were convinced that she had traveled abroad. (Nhiều người tin rằng cô ấy đã đi nước ngoài.)

• → It was believed that she had gone abroad. 
• → She was believed to have gone abroad.

Special passive sentence with imperative sentences 

Câu chủ động: It’s one’s duty to + V

=> Câu bị động: S + tobe + supposed to + V

For example:

• It’s his duty to wash the dishes today. (Hôm nay nhiệm vụ của anh ấy là rửa bát.)
• => He is supposed to wash the dishes today. 

Câu chủ động: It’s necessary to + V

=> Câu bị động: S + should/ must + be + Ved/ cột 3

For instance:

• It’s necessary to solve this problem in the meeting. (Việc giải quyết vấn đề là cần thiết trong buổi họp này.)
• => The problem should be solved in the meeting. 

Câu chủ động mệnh lệnh thức

=> Câu bị động: S + should/ must be + Ved/ cột 3

For instance:

• Close the door, please!
• => The door should be closed.

Special passive sentence with structure: Have somebody do something/ get somebody to do something

One of the special passive structures is the construction: “have somebody do something”:

• Câu chủ động: S + have + somebody + V + something
• Hoặc S + get + somebody + to V + something
• => Câu bị động: S + have + something + Ved/ cột 3
• Hoặc S + get + something + Ved/ cột 3

For example: 

• I have my brother repair my motorbike. (Tôi nhờ anh trai sửa cho chiếc xe máy.) => I have my motorbike repaired by my brother. 
• He got his friend to cut his hair. (Anh ấy nhờ bạn cắt tóc.) => He got his hair cut by his friend. 

Special passive sentence with make/ let

• Câu chủ động: S + make + somebody + V 
• => Câu bị động: S + be + made + to V
• Câu chủ động: S + let + somebody + V
• => Câu bị động: Let + somebody + something + Ved/ cột 3 hoặc be allowed + to V

Below are examples of the special passive structure with make/ let

For example: 

• They made Cinderella do all the household chores alone. (Họ bắt Cinderella phải làm tất cả việc nhà một mình.) => Cinderella was made to do all the household chores alone. 
• My father has let me drive the car since I was 18. (Bố tôi cho tôi lái xe từ khi tôi 18 tuổi.) => I have been allowed to drive the car since I was 18. 

Special passive sentence with fictitious subject IT 

• Câu chủ động: It + tobe + adj + for sb + to V + to do sth
• => Câu bị động: It + tobe + adj + for something + to be done (by sb)

For example: 

• It’s important for me to do homework. (Làm bài tập về nhà là việc quan trọng đối với tôi.)
• => It’s important for homework to be done. 

Special passive sentence with 7 special verbs

• Câu chủ động: S + V + that + S + (should) V + o
• => Câu bị động: It + tobe + Ved/ cột 3 + that + sth + to be + Ved/ cột 3

Các động từ áp dụng trong trường hợp câu bị động đặc biệt này là: Suggest, require, request, order, demand, insist, recommend.

For instance:

• The parents suggested that children should do more homework. 
• => It was suggested that more homework should be done. 

Exercise on special passive sentences in English

Let's practice with the exercises below to easily remember the special passive sentence structures!

Exercise 1: Transform the active sentences into passive. Each question has two answers.

1. Lan gave a bottle of milk to Mike.
2. I lent Lisa a book.
3. I have the homekeeper clean the room.
4. We got the mechanic to fix the refrigerator.
5. People think that the new government is a good listener.
6. People expect that the new party will win the election.
7. They see him going out with someone.
8. I saw her feeding her dog.
9. Shut the door!
10. Tell me the truth!

Đáp án:

1. A bottle of milk was given to Mike. (Mike was given a bottle of milk.)
2. Lisa was lent a book. (A book was lent from Lisa.)
3. I have the room cleaned by the homekeeper. 
4. We got the refrigerator fixed by the mechanic. 
5. It is thought that the new government is a good listener. 
6. It is expected that the new party will win the election.
7. He is seen going out with someone. 
8. She was seen feeding her dog. 
9. The door should be shut. 
10. The truth should be told to me. 

Exercise 2: Use the passive voice to rewrite the sentences without changing their meaning

1. People are known to have my father as a soccer player.

→ ………………………………………………………………….

2. It is said that Mai is in hospital.

→ ………………………………………………………………….

3. It is believed that the children should go to bed early.

→ ………………………………………………………………….

4. It is believed that the thieves have been working in the street for 2 years.

→ ………………………………………………………………….

5. It was thought by his colleagues that he was married.

→ ………………………………………………………………….

Đáp án:

1. It is known that my father is a soccer player.

My father is acknowledged to be a soccer player.

1. It is said that Mai is in hospital.

It is said that Mai is in hospital.

1. It is thought that the children go to bed early.

The children are considered to go to bed early.

1. It is believed that the thieves have worked in the street for 2 years.

The belief is that the thieves have worked in the street for 2 years.

1. It was thought that he was married.

It was considered that he was married.

Bài 3. Use the passive structure with “get” to complete the following sentences

1. My mother doesn’t understand why my room is always so dirty. It __________ (clean) every day.
2. They usually _______(the living room/ redecorate) every two years.
3. My sister isn’t making her own wedding dress, she___________ (it / make) by a designer in Paris.
4. When novels are translated into Viet Nam, a lot of the real meaning usually ________ (lose) in the translation.
5. He didn’t fix his motorbike himself, he________ (it / fix) at the garage.

1. Gets cleaned
2. Get the living room redecorated
3. Is getting it made
4. Gets lost
5. Got it fixed