The following verbs can be passivized only in certain meanings (actional) and cannot in others (statal). Provide examples of both uses.

SEMINAR 8

THE VERB

Theoretical comment

The category of voice and its peculiar character. Opposition of active and passive forms of the verb. Non-passivized verbs. The problem of “medial” voice types: reflexive, reciprocal, and middle voice mea­nings. Homonymy of the passive constructions and the predicative use of participle II with link verbs; categorial and functional differences between them. The problems of medial voices.

The category of mood. The notions of ‘mood’ and ‘modality’. The correlation of direct (indicative) and oblique mood forms. The types of moods; their formal and functional features. The problem of the imperative mood. The problem of rendering time in oblique moods; time-retrospect shift as the formal mark of the oblique moods.

The category of number; the category of person. Their reflective nature (substantive correspondence). The blending of their morphemic expression. The forms of person and number of different groups of verbs. The oppositional presentation of the category. The “notional concord” cases. The cases of contextual neutralization of the category.

Practice

Provide equivalents for these terms.

the category of voice	“semi-passive” (“pseudo-passive”) constructions
the agent (the subject, the doer of the action)	direct / oblique mood forms
the patient (the object, the receiver of the action, the experiencer)	indicative / subjunctive / imperative mood
semantic emphasis	time-retrospect shift
speaker's perception (subjective evaluation)	non-factual forms of the tenses
(non-) passivized verb	the reflective character of the categories of person and number
active / passive / medial voice	notional concord (‘agreement in sense’)
reflexive / reciprocal / middle voice meanings	fragmental (asymmetrical, deficient) category

2. Turn the sentences from active into passive, where possible. In which sentences more than one ways of passivization are possible? Comment on the change of meaning.

1) I persuaded the doctor to examine the boy. 2) I wanted the doctor to examine the boy. 3) I expect the doctor to examine the boy. 4) I ordered the chauffer to fetch the car. 5) I saw them enter the building. 6) They found him nice. 7) They elected him president. 8) John won’t meet Mary. 9) He bought Tom a book. 10) He bought a book for Tom. 11) They did away with her. 12) Sue resembles her mother. 13) The room lacks furniture. 14) Jack married Jill. 15) The priest married Jack and Jill.

The following verbs can be passivized only in certain meanings (actional) and cannot in others (statal). Provide examples of both uses.

hold, possess, contain, have, equal, weigh, grow

4. Determine the medial voice meanings of the following active verb forms. Apply transformational method, if needed:

E.g.: He shaved quickly. à He shaved himself quickly (reflexive meaning).

1) They never quarreled in other people's presence. 2) She rose suddenly. 3) The day ended, tranquil and bluish. 4) Let us drink champagne when we meet again. 5) The story began with the description of the house. 6) Keep quiet, please.

5. Account for the modality as expressed by linguistic units of different levels (lexical, morphological, syntactic) in the sentences below:

1) If one couldn’t tell what was passing in the mind of one’s own wife in one’s own house, how on earth could one tell anything from the face of a stranger… If live were like “The Idiot” or like “The Brothers Karamazovs”, and everybody went about turning out their inmost hearts at the top of their voices! If only club card rooms had a dash of epilepsy in their composition! But – nothing! Nothing! (J. Galsworthy) 2) Yet what would these people here in Lycurgus think of her and him now if they should see her letting him paddle her about in this canoe?!... The conclusion! The scandal! (Dreiser) 3) Her aunt must be made not to tell her father that she knew. (J. Galsworthy) 4) The tide was running down – English waters escaping to the seas, nevermore to come back, glad to escape! Escape! From all those who made him think of himself. (J. Galsworthy) 5) I wish we were back forty years, old boy. (J. Galsworthy) 6) “Why, what a lie!” she said, lifting her eyes to her father’s. “To think anyone should write such a thing of me! How dare they!” (Dreiser) 7) If only she could stay like that and wake up with all it over. (J. Galsworthy)

6. Identify the following uses of the Subjunctive as mandative, formulaic or hypothetical:

1) God bless you. 2) It is imperative that a woman keep her sense of humor intact and at the ready (Angelou). 3) In spite of the alert, the government does not recommend any events be cancelled (ABC). 4) It’s high time she were there. 5) She recommended that Doyle be dropped as a suspect (Hailey). 6) I insist that the prices be cut considerably. 7) “Will you do it?” – “Oh, I’d much rather you did it.” 8) Oh, if only I knew what to do! 9) It would not be possible to decide anything without him. 10) If I had time I should go on a short holiday.

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