The Passive form can be formed using the verbs both 'be' and 'go'. Furthermore, 'be' can be formed using a transitive and a perfective particle.
The Passive
| Bhrisd
|
Iain
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
| break.PAST
|
Iain
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
| 'John broke the glass'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Bhrisd
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
| break.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
| 'The glass broke'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Bha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
brisde
|
| be.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
break.va
|
| 'The glass was broken.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Bha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
brisde
|
le
|
Iain.
|
| be.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
break.va
|
*with
|
Iain
|
| 'The glass was broken (*by John).'
|
| Ungrammatical because verbal adjective disallows an agent
|
(Reed, 2008)
'Go' Passives
| Chaidh
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
a
|
brisdeadh.
|
| go.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
poss.3sf
|
break.va
|
| 'The glass was broken.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Chaidh
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
a
|
brisdeadh
|
le
|
Iain.
|
| go.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
poss.3sf
|
break.va
|
with
|
Iain
|
| 'The glass was broken by John.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
Perfective Transitive Particle Form
| Bha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
air
|
a
|
brisdeadh.
|
| be.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
perf
|
tran(poss.3sf)
|
break.va
|
| 'The glass was broken.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Bha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
air
|
a
|
brisdeadh
|
with
|
Iain.
|
| be.PAST
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
perf
|
tran(poss.3sf)
|
break.va
|
with
|
Iain
|
| 'The glass was broken by John.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
Verbal Adjective Constructions
| Tha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
air
|
a
|
brisde
|
| be.PRES
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
break.va
|
| 'The glass was broken.'
|
(Reed, 2008)
| Tha
|
a'
|
ghloinne
|
air
|
a
|
brisde
|
le
|
Iain
|
| be.PRES
|
the.sf
|
glass.sf
|
break.va
|
with
|
Iain
|
| 'The glass was broken (*by John).'
|
(Reed, 2008)
The Prepositional Passive (Pseudopassive)
| Chaidil
|
George Washington
|
anns
|
an
|
leabaidh
|
seo.
|
| sleep.pst
|
George Washington
|
in
|
the
|
bed
|
seo.
|
| 'Geroge Washington slept in this bed.'
|
(Levin)
| Bha
|
an
|
leabaidh
|
seo
|
air
|
a
|
cosg
|
le
|
George Washington.
|
| be.pst
|
the
|
bed
|
prox
|
pass
|
3sg.f.poss
|
use
|
by
|
George Washington
|
| 'This bed was used by George Washington.'
|
(Levin)
| *Bha
|
ann
|
an
|
leabaidh
|
seo
|
air
|
a
|
cadal
|
le
|
George Washington.
|
| be.pst
|
in
|
the
|
bed
|
prox
|
pass
|
3sg.f.poss
|
sleep
|
by
|
George Washington
|
(Levin)
| Bha
|
an
|
leabaidh
|
seo
|
air
|
a
|
cadal
|
ann
|
mar tha.
|
| be.pst
|
the
|
bed
|
prox
|
pass
|
3sg.f.poss
|
sleep
|
in.3sg
|
already
|
| 'This bed was slept in already.'
|
(Levin)
