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Created page with 'File:lighterstill.jpg ==Etymology== [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English], from Latin passivu...'
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==Etymology==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English], from [[Latin]] passivus, from passus
*Date: [http://www.wikpedia.org/wiki/14th_Centur 14th century]
==Definitions==
*1 a (1) : [[acted]] upon by an external [[agency]] (2) : [[receptive]] to outside impressions or [[influences]]
:b (1) : asserting that the [[grammatical]] subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb <the passive voice> (2) : containing or yielding a passive verb form
:c (1) : lacking in [[energy]] or will : lethargic (2) : tending not to take an [[active]] or dominant part
:d : induced by an outside [[agency]] <passive exercise of a paralyzed leg>
*2 a : not active or operating : inert
:b : of, relating to, or making direct use of the [[sun]]'s [[heat]] usually without the [[intervention]] of [[mechanical]] devices <a passive solar house>
:c : [[latent]]
:d (1) : of, relating to, or characterized by a [[state]] of [[chemical]] inactivity; especially : resistant to corrosion (2) : not involving expenditure of chemical [[energy]] <passive transport across a cell membrane> e of an electronic element : exhibiting no gain or control
:f : relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy or [[sound]] <passive sonar>
*3 a : receiving or [[enduring]] without [[resistance]] : submissive
:b : existing or occurring without being [[active]], open, or direct <passive [[support]]>
*4 : of, relating to, or being [[business]] activity in which the investor does not actively [[participate]] in the generation of income
==Description==
'''Passive''' [[voice]] is a [[grammatical]] voice common in many of the world's [[languages]]. Passive is used in a clause whose subject [[expresses]] the theme or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an [[action]] or has its state changed. A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is called a passive sentence. In [[contrast]], a sentence in which the subject has the [[agent]] role is called an [[active]] sentence, and its verb is [[expressed]] in active voice. Many languages have both an active and a passive voice; this allows for greater [[flexibility]] in sentence construction, as either the [[semantic]] agent or patient may take the syntactic role of subject.
The use of passive voice allows speakers to organize stretches of [[discourse]] by placing figures other than the [[agent]] in subject position. This may be used to foreground the patient, recipient, or other thematic role. Passive voice may also be useful when the semantic patient is the [[topic]] of on-going [[discussion]].
<center> The wine is carried by the servant.<center>
<center>(Compare this sentence, which gives the same information in the active voice:<center>
<center> Servus vinum portat, The servant carries the wine.) </center>
[[Category: Linguistics]]
[[Category: General Reference]]
==Etymology==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English], from [[Latin]] passivus, from passus
*Date: [http://www.wikpedia.org/wiki/14th_Centur 14th century]
==Definitions==
*1 a (1) : [[acted]] upon by an external [[agency]] (2) : [[receptive]] to outside impressions or [[influences]]
:b (1) : asserting that the [[grammatical]] subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb <the passive voice> (2) : containing or yielding a passive verb form
:c (1) : lacking in [[energy]] or will : lethargic (2) : tending not to take an [[active]] or dominant part
:d : induced by an outside [[agency]] <passive exercise of a paralyzed leg>
*2 a : not active or operating : inert
:b : of, relating to, or making direct use of the [[sun]]'s [[heat]] usually without the [[intervention]] of [[mechanical]] devices <a passive solar house>
:c : [[latent]]
:d (1) : of, relating to, or characterized by a [[state]] of [[chemical]] inactivity; especially : resistant to corrosion (2) : not involving expenditure of chemical [[energy]] <passive transport across a cell membrane> e of an electronic element : exhibiting no gain or control
:f : relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy or [[sound]] <passive sonar>
*3 a : receiving or [[enduring]] without [[resistance]] : submissive
:b : existing or occurring without being [[active]], open, or direct <passive [[support]]>
*4 : of, relating to, or being [[business]] activity in which the investor does not actively [[participate]] in the generation of income
==Description==
'''Passive''' [[voice]] is a [[grammatical]] voice common in many of the world's [[languages]]. Passive is used in a clause whose subject [[expresses]] the theme or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an [[action]] or has its state changed. A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is called a passive sentence. In [[contrast]], a sentence in which the subject has the [[agent]] role is called an [[active]] sentence, and its verb is [[expressed]] in active voice. Many languages have both an active and a passive voice; this allows for greater [[flexibility]] in sentence construction, as either the [[semantic]] agent or patient may take the syntactic role of subject.
The use of passive voice allows speakers to organize stretches of [[discourse]] by placing figures other than the [[agent]] in subject position. This may be used to foreground the patient, recipient, or other thematic role. Passive voice may also be useful when the semantic patient is the [[topic]] of on-going [[discussion]].
<center> The wine is carried by the servant.<center>
<center>(Compare this sentence, which gives the same information in the active voice:<center>
<center> Servus vinum portat, The servant carries the wine.) </center>
[[Category: Linguistics]]
[[Category: General Reference]]