PAST PARTICIPLE—PASSIVE VOICE
55
He could not bear being made fun Some things had been lost sight j.' This silly business must be put a stop V The troublesome customer was quietly got rid
Compare: They took undue advantage of his weakness; You must put a stop to this silly business. With some of these groups an alternative passive construction occurs, with the noun as subject: Undue advantage was taken of his weakness; Little attention was paid to this warning; No fault was found with my suggestions. The alternative construction is found especially (but not exclusively) when the noun is preceded by a qualifying word. 121. On comparing the examples of 117-120 with the corresponding active sentences, it will be found that the subjects of the passive constructions correspond to the (direct or prepositional) objects' of the active constructions. HE was ridiculed (laughed at, made They ridiculed (laughed at, made fun of) HIM. fun of).
The subject of a passive sentence may also correspond to the INDIRECT object of the active sentence. In this case we may speak of the INDIRECT PASSIVE. I have been offered a mastership at Rugby. (Cf.: They have offered ME a mastership at Rugby.) SHE was furious being denied admittance. (Cf.: They denied HER admittance.) You will be given twenty-four hours to consider your decision. V The boy was found employment in a newspaper office.3 We have been saved (spared) a great deal of trouble. The direct object in sentences with an indirect passive (a mastership, admittance, etc.) is known as the RETAINED OBJECT.
122. In the active sentences corresponding to sentences with an indirect passive the indirect object usually denotes a person, the direct object a thing. Poutsma, Grammar, II, Ch. XLVII, § 26; quoted from Galsworthy, Forsyte Saga, II, iv, 159 (Heinemann, 1923). Compare, on p. 160 of the novel: 'And further . . . it was not generally recognised by Forsytes that . . 2 In the last examples of 119, my new hat and the bed are rather (parts of) prepositional ADJUNCTS (cf. 105, note, and 595). It is exceptional for the subject of a passive sentence to correspond to an adjunct of benefit (596.1) in the active construction.