Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Is there a passive construction for 'I have a pen.'



I have a pen.



How to make its "passive voice"? Actually, I was looking for this sentence on different sites, but I got an answer like



A pen is had by me.




When I got this answer I was shocked. I thought how it can be like this. It really confused me, and I got these remarks:



"I have a pen." is transitive.


"A pen is had [by me.]" is passive.
If "have" were not transitive, we couldn't make the passive transformation.



I have never ever read this passive sentence in my books. So, you are all respectfully requested to spell it out.


Thanks in advance.



Answer




We normally use the passive with verbs that express the idea of agency: something done to {someone or something} by {someone or something else}.


Have, in the sense of "to be in possession of", although transitive, does not involve a doing-to, and for that reason it does not lend itself to passive expression.


On the other hand:


He bought the book


can become


The book was bought by him.


He took the book. The book was taken by him.


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