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Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

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1) In each of the translations of the passive above, notice how we maintained<br />

the values of the Present Tense, as well as the Indicative Mood.<br />

Remember that the Present Tense (in <strong>Greek</strong>) usually means “now-Time”<br />

and “on-going, continuous Aspect.” Recall also that the Indicative Mood<br />

puts forward a factual claim, rather than a hope, command, or possibility.<br />

“I am being destroyed” declares something as a fact, while also expressing<br />

it as something happening now, and in an ongoing way.<br />

2) Also, notice that “Passive” does not mean “Past.” “Passive” relates to<br />

the direction of action (subject performing action vs. subject being acted<br />

upon), whereas “past” relates to time (present, past, future). Work hard to<br />

keep these two very different notions completely distinct from each other.<br />

Now that we realize that only transitive verbs can be converted into passive sentences,<br />

let’s take a look at four kinds of transitive sentences, and how their elements are<br />

recongured to make passive sentence:<br />

Simple Transitive<br />

Active Verb<br />

God is destroying sin<br />

God is destroying sin.<br />

object<br />

Passive Voice, Transitive Verbs, and<br />

Sentence Types<br />

subject<br />

Passive Verb<br />

If you think about it very long, you will realize that no verb will function meaningfully<br />

in a passive sense unless it can take a Direct Object in its active form. Verbs which<br />

can take Direct Objects are called Transitive Verbs; verbs which cannot take Direct<br />

Objects are called In-transitive Verbs. Only Transitive verbs can be “turned around”<br />

to make sense in the passive voice:<br />

subject<br />

Sin<br />

is being destroying<br />

by God<br />

Active Voice<br />

I saw my friend<br />

Sally kicked the chair<br />

Tom bought the business<br />

Transitive Verbs<br />

Passive Voice<br />

My friend was seen by me<br />

The chair was kicked by Sally<br />

The business was bought by Tom<br />

prepositional<br />

phrase<br />

expressing<br />

agency<br />

Active Voice<br />

I am a student<br />

I went to town<br />

Lisa became a Senator<br />

Intransitive Verbs<br />

Passive Voice [nonsensical!!]<br />

A student was am-ed by me<br />

A town was went-ed by me<br />

A Senator was becom-ed by Lisa<br />

9: Active, Middle, Passive Voices<br />

110

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