Get in the passive form

Question

Please could you tell me why the follow sentence is with was and not with get?: "She was / got given a new bicycle for her birthday. Unfortunately, it was/got stolen the next day" I am not sure which is the correct form to write this sentence Thanks

Answer 1

Grammatically, the reason that got given is wrong is that you have a conjugated verb got trying to act as an auxiliary or helping verb to the past participle given. To form different tenses, an auxiliary (some form of the verb be or have) can be used, but got cannot act as an auxiliary to the past participle given.

The reason that you would use was has to do with the difference between the active and passive voice. In the active voice, the stress is on the activity of the subject. In the active voice your sentence might read:

Somebody gave her a new bicycle for her birthday.

In the passive voice the focus is placed on the direct object (her) of the sentence. The passive voice is often used in this way to focus on someone or something that is/was acted upon.

She was given a new bicycle for her birthday by somebody.

In the passive voice, the direct object becomes the subject of the passive-voice verb was given. The subject of the active voice sentence becomes the agent of the passive-voice verb (the one by whom the action is said to be performed). In both sentences both the agent (passive voice) and the subject (active) voice can be implied (somebody).

If you want the passive voice to have no agent then you may drop the subject of the active verb when you change it to the passive so your sentence becomes:

She was given a new bicycle for her birthday.

If the agent is explicitly stated in the sentence then it must be preceded with the word by.

Note: You can only change a verb from active to passive if it has a direct object.

Here are some simple examples:

I made the cake [active]

Subject: I Active-voice Verb: made Dir. Obj: The cake

The cake was made by me [passive]

Subject: The cake Passive-voice Verb: was made Agent: my

---

He ate the hamburgers [active]

Subject: He Active-voice Verb: ate Dir. Obj: the hamburgers

The hamburgers were eaten by him [passive]

Subject: The hamburgers Passive-voice Verb: were eaten Agent: him

---

She rode the bicycle [active]

Subject: She Active-voice Verb: rode Dir. Obj: The bicycle

The bicycle was ridden by her [passive]

Subject: The bicycle Passive-voice Verb: was ridden Agent: her

---

We sang a song [active]

Subject: We Active-voice Verb: sang Dir. Obj: a song

A song was sung by us [passive]

Subject: A song Passive-voice Verb: was sung Agent: us

---

They photographed everything at the party [active]

Subject: They Active-voice Verb: photographed Dir. Obj: everything at the party

Everything at the party was photographed by them. [passive]

Subject: Everything at the party Passive-voice Verb: was photographed Agent: them

See my answer above. - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

"but go cannot act as an auxiliary to the past participle." true but totaly irrelevant; this (deplorable) usage has nothing to do with the verb "to go". - samdie, Oct 6, 2009

Sorry, Samdie that was a typo. Thanks for catching it. - Izanoni1, Oct 6, 2009

"Go" should have been written "got" - Izanoni1, Oct 6, 2009

Answer 2

Maylegoas, got is kind of a strange word in English, at least the way we use it in America. It is often used incorrectly, but in ways that happen so often that people just accept it. This can make the correct use a little confusing

Was is the word you want to use in those examples. The second example, "got stolen", sounds like it could work, but I'm just going by what sounds good, not by a rule I can explain.

"Got given" is definitely not good. The word got basically means received, so "got given" is like saying that same word twice in a row.

But it is used like that all the time. - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

The reason May was told it was wrong is because the teacher wanted a passive sentence structure - and that must always include the verb "to be" - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

I've never heard the phrase "got given". If I did hear it, it would be part of a joke about how an uneducated person speaks. As I said, the word "got" is misused constantly, so finding the right places to use it (or misuse it elegantly) is tricky. - - Jason_Bryant, Oct 6, 2009

This is correct Jason. The reason that it would be redundant is that the agent is already giving it to her so you are saying that she both "got it" and it was "given to her" in the same sentence. Proper grammar is designed to reduce these redundancies - Izanoni1, Oct 6, 2009

I too have not heard "got given" often and it always sounds wrong, but I do here "she got a bike" or "he got a good grade", etc. Just "got" without "given". - kittybrougham, Oct 6, 2009

Answer 3

"She was given..." and "It was stolen .... " are considered more correct. (formal) "She got given ... " and "It got stolen ... " are considered less correct (informal)

Well I wouldn't say that. For one, it is not "less correct". It is not correct whatsoever. Two, they are not formal and informal. You shouldn't talk like that, ever.

One shouldn't but one does. - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

See my answer above - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

No, one does not. Saying "got given" will make native speakers giggle. - Jason_Bryant, Oct 6, 2009

I've heard it - and I did not giggle - quite the opposite. - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2009

Answer 4

Thanks, I understood, you are great.

Answer 5

Hola May The only reason that your teacher told you it was wrong is that -

"She was given..." and "It was stolen .... " are considered more correct. (formal)
"She got given ... " and "It got stolen ... " are considered less correct (informal)

But they both mean the same thing.

Is your English teacher from England or the USA? Or maybe from somewhere else.

Your teacher should explain why she said you s=were not correct.

"were" not "s=were" - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

see below Izanoni - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2009

Answer 6

I repeat my above post for those that are getting a bit uptight about this.

You were asked about the passive form May - the passive always has the verb "to be" before the past participle that is why your teacher said it was incorrect.

Answer 7

You were asked about the passive form May - the passive always has the verb "to be" before the past participle that is why your teacher said it was incorrect.

Answer 8

Look lan, In the example: I said: She got given a new bicycle for her birthday....., but was told that it is she was given a new bicycle for her birthday... I don't know why...

Answer 9

Hello May They both mean the same thing. She was given ... etc and She got given.... etc.

Get / Got is one of the most used words in the English language - which is strange because we hardly ever need to use it. We can almost always - if not always - find another way to say the same thing.

Examples:

I got home at 9 o'clock. I arrived home at 9 o'clock.

I get tired after working all day. I become tired after working all day.

There are many many examples of this - just look up "get" in your dictionary.

Also I know of at least 46 phrasal verbs that use "get".

Get up - get up to - get on - get on with - get away - get away with - etc. etc.

You do need to know about the word "get" because you will hear it a lot.

I think you misread his question. But good answer if the question was between got and given ;). - marlborough, Oct 5, 2009

The options were "was" and "got" not "got" and "given" - ian-hill, Oct 5, 2009

I think you mis-read it. - ian-hill, Oct 5, 2009

but, the sentence: She got given a new bicycle for her birthday, unfortunately, it was stolen the next day. so, it's wrong? and it's true, why? - maylegoas, Oct 5, 2009

Yes, the question is between was and got as told lan-Francis, but I don't know why in the example of my sentence my teacher told it's wrong - maylegoas, Oct 5, 2009

Answer 10

I answered in your other thread, but:

es el mismo que en español decimos "estuve dado un nueva bicicleta". Estuve significa "I was".