USING THE " BY - PHRASE "

USING THE “BY- PHRASE”


(a) This sweater was made by my aunt

The “by phrase” is used in passive sentences when it
is important to know who performs an action. In (a):
by my aunt is important information

(b) That sweater was made in Korea. (by someone)

(c) Spanish is spoken in Columbia. (by people)

(d) That house was built in 1940. (by someone)

(e) Rice is grown in many countries. (by people)

Usually there is no “by-phrase” in a passive sentence.

The passive is used when it is not known or not important to know exactly who performs an action

In (b) : The exact person (or people) who made the sweater is not known and is not important to know.

So there is no “my-phrase” in the passive sentence