Impersonal Passive

Usually, only transitive verbs can be used passively since in a passive skeleton makes the direct object of a transitive skeleton into the subject.  Thus, intransitive verbs are not generally not able to be used in the passive as they do not take direct objects.  Intransitive verbs (especially motion verbs) can be used passively, however, when the action expressed is general rather than done by a specific subject.

Some can be translated as actives or passives in English:

bulletpugnatum est, "there was fierce fighting" (i.e. general fierce fighting), "it was fought fiercely"

Verbs of motion can not be translated as passives in English and so must be translated as actives:

bulletprima luce profecti sumus; meridie ad montem ventum est, "at dawn, we set out; at midday there was a coming to the mountain (we came to the mountain)".
bulletundique concurritur, "there was a running together from all sides", "men run together from all sides".

Verbs that pattern with dative objects can also be used impersonally:

bulletcaptivis parsum est, "there was a sparing of the captives" (no specific subjects need to be expressed), "the captives were spared".
bulletmihi persuasum est, "there was a persuading to me", I was persuaded".

Other Skeleton Types

Transitive Active
Intransitive Active
Linking
Passive
Impersonal Passive

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Sentence Structure
Morphology
Skeleton Types
Verbs
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Adverbs
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Related Topics

Sentence Structure Index

Lesson Chapter 49

Impersonal Verbs

Verban Noun

Last Updated March 18, 2003

Questions, comments and corrections should be sent to Brian K. Harvey, Kent State University