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UNIT TWO
The passive constructions in Spanish
In English, we call passive constructions the ones whose verb is made of the verb to be plus the past participle of the verb. Compare these twosentences:

The dog chases the cat.
The dog is chased by the cat.

The first sentence is an `active' construction. The second sentence, however, is a passive construction.

In Spanish, there are twopassive constructions. One, like English, is made of the verb SER plus the past participle of the verb used as an adjective (there is gender and number agreement with the subject). This construction iscalled “pasiva perifrástica”. The second one, is made of the word SE (not to be confused with the reflexive pronoun) plus the 3rd person form of the verb. This is called “pasiva refleja”

Pasivaperifrástica
This is formed with the verb SER (the verb estar is never part of a passive sentence) in the appropriate tense and the past participle:

El libro fue escrito por Cervantes / This bookwas written by Cervantes.
Subject: El libro
Verb: fue (preterite of SER) + escrito (p. participle as adjective – agrees in gender and number with the subject – el libro, in this case-)
Agent: porCervantes

This type of passive sentences allow for an agent, called “complemento agente” in Spanish:

La casa será vendida por la familia. The house will be sold by the family.
Los ejercicios soncorregidos por el profesor. The exercises are corrected by the teacher.


Pasiva refleja
This passive construction is more frequently used in Spanish that the first one. It is used when theagent is not known –non specific-. This construction does not allow for “complemento agente.” Notice how the verb agrees with the grammatical subject:
If the subject is singular, the verb is singular:Se habla español. (se + conjugated verb + subject)
Spanish is spoken.

Se produce vino.
Wine is produced.

If the subject is plural, the verb is plural as well:

Se cultivan uvas.
Grapes...
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