Passive (Grammar) in Law

 

I. Introduction

Passive voice construction AKA Passive or Passive voice, is a grammatical voice construction in which the grammatical subject expresses the theme or patient of the main verb  – that is, the person or thing that undergoes the action or has its state changed (located behind main verb).

II. Understanding the form - for law students

General sentence, AKA Active voice, has a subject as a doer.

    Ex. The police take Nita into custody.

In Passive voice, the subject is no longer the doer  (play the role object but located in front of main verb).

    Ex. Nita is taken into custody by the police.

by the police - is called The Agent. The agent is generally known as "By + Subject" in Active voice. Agent (By Subject) is considered as not important because everyone usually knows/does not know it. Thus Agent is omitted.

    Ex. Nita is taken into custody.

 Law Practitioners often use passive when they want to make a focus on the person (who is the object of active) is an important person. From above example,

    Ex. Nita is taken into custody.

is similar to

    Ex. It is Nita whom the police take into custody.

III. Before You do

It is important to study the following grammar if you want to do this.

- Subject Verb agreement

    Ex. A thief steals ...

    You steal...

 - Tense

     Ex. You stole... yesterday. (Past)

- Verb list

    Ex. Main Verb - Steal

                V1 - Steal

                V2 - Stole

                V3 - Stolen

IV. How to convert Active into Passive

Active - Subject + Verb + Object + Compliment

Passive -  Object + Be (*) + V3 + Compliment (**) + Agent (***)

(*) Be must be changed according to the tense and object (in front)

If it is present tense,

Be = am (self)/ is (singular)/ are (plural)

If it is past tense,

Be = was(Singular) /were (Plural) 

(**) Compliment can locate in front of the sentence or behind object. If it is in front, keep it in front. If it is behind the object, follow the formula above.

(***) Agent = By + Subject - Can be erased.

V. Practice

Ex. Yesterday, the criminal seized Jin's purse.

analysis

Be - Transformation

    tense = Past (yesterday, seized) => Be = was/were 

    But Object (Jin's purse) is  singular

SO

    Be => was

 V3 analysis

Find the verb generally behind Subject => Seized

Use the table of verb list to support. it also help you find the tense.

V1	V2	V3
seize	seized	seized
call	called	called

From above table,

Seized is V2,

Its V3 is also Seized.

It is conversion time!!!

Use this Formula

Active - Compliment, Subject + Verb + Object 

Identify the elements

    Subject = The criminal

     Verb = was

    Object = Jin's purse

    Compliment = Yesterday

Passive - Compliment (**), Object + Be (*) + V3  + Agent (***)

     =>Yesterday, Jin's purse was seized by the criminal.

or => Yesterday, Jin's purse was seized.