Passive construction when we don't use "by" before object

Question

#1 Smoke filled the roomPassive: The room was filled with smoke. (Not by smoke )#2 The boy's work pleased the teacher.Passive: The teacher was pleased with the boy's work.  (Not by the boy's work )#3 His behavior annoyed me.Passive: I was annoyed at his behavior.  (Not by his behavior)#4 The book has greatly interested me.Passive: I was greatly interested in the book.  (Not by the book)# 5 Little strokes fell great oaks.Passive: Great oaks are felled with little strokesI know some verbs like "know","annoy","vex" etc. which are not action rather states. But other than this as I mentioned some example how to find if we need to use "by" with object or not.(I have read a rule somewhere on internet that when object is something other than a person, we do not use "by" in passive construction. I want to confirm here if this rule is correct )Thank you

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

taruns1008Passive: The room was filled with smoke. (Not by smoke )

"Fill" is not dynamic. It is stative. Smoke was inside the room.

The bicycle tire was filled with air. (Static. Air was inside the tire.)
The bicycle tire was filled by pumping it full of air. (Dynamic.)

taruns1008Passive: The teacher was pleased with the boy's work.

Actually "by" is acceptable as well as "with." It is a more precise transformation of the active voice sentence.

taruns1008Passive: I was greatly interested in the book.

Interested is an adjective in that sentence. Note it is gradable, as true adjectives are.

The verb is "was" which is intransitive.

taruns1008Passive: I was annoyed at his behavior.

"By" is better. I was annoyed by his behavior.

taruns1008Passive: Great oaks are felled with little strokes

The agent is actually not the strokes, by the men who deliver them.

Great oaks are felled ( by men ) with little strokes (of their axes.)

taruns1008(I have read a rule somewhere on internet that when object is something other than a person, we do not use "by" in passive construction. I want to confirm here if this rule is correct )

It's not correct.

The man was attacked by the guard dog.
The stream was blocked by a dam created by beavers.
Electronic devices can be damaged by power surges.
We are divided by political ideologies.
The future prosperity of the community was insured by the new manufacturing plant.
The fish were killed by the increased acidity of the lake water.

Passive construction when we don't use "by" before object

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions