25 Passive Voice: Verbs with Two Objects

The Passive Form expresses the idea of something or someone receiving an action or experiencing a particular event or effect. {see Passive Structure, B1 level}

There are some verbs that can be followed by two objects An Indirect Object and a Direct Object.

Here are some verbs can be followed by two objects;

• Give;
• Show;
• Lend;
• Send.

With these verbs which can have two objects, we can use two different forms:
Subject + verb + direct object + preposition + indirect object;
Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object.

• A letter to the editor was sent (by my father).
• Daily newspapers were given to him every day (by his secretary).
• A book was lent to Jessica (by the librarian).

The Indirect Object as the subject of the Passive Verb:

• She was told the truths (by him).
• His wife was given a flat (by her father).

The Direct Object as the subject of the Passive Verb:

• The truths was told to her (by him).
• A flat was given to his wife (by her father).

*Mostly we use the first structure more often than the second one.

We Indirect Object as the subjext of the Passive structure more often than the Direct Object.