Passive Target #1 - The Headline Passive
To form the passive correctly in an independent clause, it is very important to remember to do all the steps of the passive. Step #2 - adding the form of the verb BEthat is in the same tense and aspect as the active verb - is particularly important. The BE helping verb is a required part of the passive structure.
Sometimes, newspaper headlines omit the form of the verb be (along with other function words such as articles). For example, a headline might say Defendant found guilty by jury. This type of passive -- called a headline passive -- is acceptable in headlines, but it is not acceptable in any other form of writing.
Self-editing Tip: Look for all the sentences you wrote that use a verb with a past or past participle form. Ask yourself this question: Who "did the verb"? Did the defendant find (someone) guilty? Now check to see if (the) jury found the defendant guilty. If the defendant didn't find anyone guilty but someone (in this case the jury) found the defendant guilty, this is a headline passive.
Computer check tip: Because the word by appears in many headline passives, use the find command in your word-processing program to search for the word by. Then check to see if you have made any headline passives. If you have, correct them!
Review Exercise. All of the following are headlines. Some of the headlines are active. Some are headline passives. If a headline is a headline passive, add the correct form of the verb BE.
1. Doctors build new hospital.
2. Boy found in park.
3. Marijuana legislation approved by voters.
4. Women voters decided outcome of election.
5. Groups met to fight racisim
6. Blood alcohol level lowered for those who drink and drive.
7. Four protestors arrested at Greenpeace demonstration.
8. Hoffa wanted government to stop watching union.
9. Plane crash in Quebec killed 10.
10. Golfer named player of the year.
11. Arab countries hit by recession.
12. Serb general pleaded innocent to genocide.
NOTE: Two groups of English verbs can be either intransitive or transitive.
In the first group, the intransitive form is the same as the transitive form but without an object.
Ex: Transitive: I read the book. Intransitive: I read.
However the verbs of the second group have different structures. The object of the transitive verb is the same as the subject of the intransitive one.
Transitive: Someone closed the door.
Intransitive: The door closed.
Transitive: Someone broke the pencil
Intransitive: The pencil broke.
This can be confusing because the transitive version can be made passive,
Ex. The door was closed (by someone).
The pencil was broken (by someone)
which can be made into headline passives.
Ex. The door closed.
The pencil broken.
Notice that the first headline passive (ungrammatical except in headlines) is identical to the grammatical intransitive use of closed: The door closed. However, the second headline passive (The pencil broken) uses a verb (break) whose past participle (broken) is different from its past tense form (broke).
Consider the following headlines. Which one uses a headline passive? Which one uses an intransitive verb?
The immigration door closed by the government.
The door closed slowly.