Transitive verb without passive voice

Basically, if a transitive verb is used in a sentence, it can be rewritten in a passive voice using the original object word as the new subject:

He loves her.
She is loved by him.

However, there are exceptions like "resemble" and "become".
1, He resembles his father.
2, That dress becomes her well.

Sentence 1 cannot be rewritten as "*His father is resembled by him."
Sentence 2 cannot be rewritten as "*She is become by/in that dress well."

Q1: So, "being able to make a passive voice" is not a necessary condition for a transitive verb?
Q2: Do you think of any other transitive verbs which cannot make passive voice sentences?
Q3: Why can't some transitive verbs make passive voice sentences?


Thank you in advance.

Q1. A transitive verb needs a direct object - that is the necessary condition. Usually sentences with a direct object can be made into passive-voice constructions.

Of the two example sentences you gave, Sentence #1 is actually OK as a passive voice sentence. It just sounds slightly awkward in the passive voice. In your Sentence #2, you have incorrectly conjugated the verb in the passive sentence. The best choice would be the past participle in a form that is now archaic:
She was becomed by the dress. (She was made comely by the dress)
Became is the modern form, but rarely would you ever come across became as a past-participle for become because of the potential for misunderstanding - She was became by that dress. Similarly, you would never use became as the simple past tense for become (i.e. to flatter) because of the potential for misunderstanding: That dress became her.
It's not incorrect, it just invites confusion.

Therefore, I think the problem is clarity rather than grammatic incongruity.

Q2. As above, I think there may be more examples where the passive sentence is weird, or where the original verb has multiple meanings which make its use in the passive voice confusing. Become is especially confusing, but the confusion drops away if you look at similar verbs (beguile, bewitch, bemuse).

Q3. As above, I think they all can be made into passive sentences, its just that some past participles are confusing. The exception would be the imperative transitive, as mentioned in the other thread.

>Of the two example sentences you gave, Sentence #1 is actually OK as a passive voice sentence. It just sounds slightly awkward in the passive voice.

Oxford Learner's Dictionary
resemble verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
All the dictionaries I consulted say "No Passive".


>In your Sentence #2, you have incorrectly conjugated the verb in the passive sentence. The best choice would be the past participle in a form that is now archaic:
She was becomed by the dress. (She was made comely by the dress)

No. There is no word like "becomed". "Become" conjugates as "become-became-become", just like "come-came-come". I don't you think you would say, "He has comed here."

becomed - Wiktionary

You are confusing the definition of the word become (to turn into) with the other definition of the same word become (to make comely).

I don't think so.
The wikitinary's entry is "archaic, nonstandard, poetic."
In Oxford, or Cambridge, no entries are found searching by "becomed". "to make comely" is also under the same word "become-became-become".

Yes, which is why I said in my original post

Majestic said:

The best choice would be the past participle in a form that is now archaic

Click to expand...

To use the current and non-archaic became is to invite confusion, but it can be done.

Majestic said:

Yes, which is why I said in my original post

To use the current and non-archaic became is to invite confusion, but it can be done.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but I am not yet satisfied, because there is not even only one dictionary which admits "resemble" or "become" to be used for passive voice.

I also searched with the keywords "is resembled by".
The result tells me it's not correct.

Passive Voice in English

I have a cat.
(wrong) A cat is had by me.

The team lacked a leader.
(wrong) A leader was lacked by the team.

That cloud resembles a dragon.
(wrong) A dragon is resembled by that cloud.

Internet Search result:
"is becomed by" --- 0 hits

This means this expression is not accepted anywhere by anyone.
The past participle of "become" is "become" even when it means "to fit".

That site seems to have answered your question. Well done.

Are you that guy in the Philippines who has appeared on Japanese television for his collection of Superman goods?

Languages are full of irregularities. Isn't that great?!?!

You've found something very interesting--congratulations!

Just live with this as you live with all the different forms of the verb "to be".