With forming a passive-voiced sentence out of an active-voiced sentence, certain elements of a situation shall be emphasized. By making the recipient of the active-voiced form the grammatical subject of the passive-voiced sentence, its focus becomes reinforced due to the sentence-initial position. The passive is thus favoured over the active form when the receiver of an action (recipient) should be focused rather than the performer (agent) of the action. Next to the greater emphasis of the active-voice object, the passive is used to stress the result of an action (which is supported by the possibility of omitting the agent).
The structure be + past particle can be considered as the norm for English passives. Since the passive meaning is essentially expressed by past participles, be in the structure can also be replaced by other verbs such as get, become, remain etc. Considering be- and get-passives, there seems to be no obvious difference between the two forms. However, the get-passive would not be used at all unless it had a different meaning in comparison to the be-passive.
This paper aims to explore what the distinctive feature of the get-passive is. A major contribution to answer this question comes from Hübler who claims that the get-passive is used as means of an emotive language device. I will focus mainly, though not exclusively, on his contribution The Expressivity of Grammar. While many authors (Hatcher, Lakoff, Collins etc.) have tried to analyse the difference in meaning of the two passive forms, Hübler seems to have covered and united most of the theories, leading to the conclusion that the get-passive is used to express emotional attachment. His theory is depicted in detail in the following chapter.
This paper should furthermore serve to test Hübler’s (somehow vast and seemingly to far spread) claims in contrasting both, be- and get-passives. On a corpus based study I will analyse 100 examples of each type of passive for their emotional content.
Finally the results of this analysis will be discussed and the two passive forms are compared in order to describe their differences in meaning.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Be versus Get
2.1 Remarkable Content
2.2 Attachment
2.3 Dynamicity
2.4 Weaknesses of the theories
3. Methodology
4. Results
4.1 Remarkable Get-Passives vs. Remarkable Be-Passives
4.2. Non-Remarkable Get-Passives vs. Non-Remarkable Be-Passives
4.2.1 Shift of perspective I – Progressive aspect
4.2.2 Shift of perspective II - Outer forces
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
7. Attachment
7a GET/GOT + PastParticiple
7b BE + PastParticiple
Objectives & Thematic Focus
This paper aims to explore the distinctive features of the get-passive in English, specifically examining its function as an emotive language device. It investigates the hypothesis that the get-passive is used to express a speaker's emotional attachment to a propositional content, as opposed to the more neutral be-passive.
- The role of the get-passive as an emotive language device.
- Distinctions between remarkable and non-remarkable passive constructions.
- The impact of speaker emotional involvement and attachment on passive selection.
- Corpus-based comparative analysis of be-passives and get-passives.
- The influence of dynamicity and external forces on linguistic choices.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
With forming a passive-voiced sentence out of an active-voiced sentence, certain elements of a situation shall be emphasized. By making the recipient of the active-voiced form the grammatical subject of the passive-voiced sentence, its focus becomes reinforced due to the sentence-initial position. The passive is thus favoured over the active form when the receiver of an action (recipient) should be focused rather than the performer (agent) of the action. Next to the greater emphasis of the active-voice object, the passive is used to stress the result of an action (which is supported by the possibility of omitting the agent).
The structure be + past particle can be considered as the norm for English passives. Since the passive meaning is essentially expressed by past participles, be in the structure can also be replaced by other verbs such as get, become, remain etc. Considering be- and get-passives, there seems to be no obvious difference between the two forms. However, the get-passive would not be used at all unless it had a different meaning in comparison to the be-passive.
This paper aims to explore what the distinctive feature of the get-passive is. A major contribution to answer this question comes from Hübler who claims that the get-passive is used as means of an emotive language device. I will focus mainly, though not exclusively, on his contribution The Expressivity of Grammar. While many authors (Hatcher, Lakoff, Collins etc.) have tried to analyse the difference in meaning of the two passive forms, Hübler seems to have covered and united most of the theories, leading to the conclusion that the get-passive is used to express emotional attachment. His theory is depicted in detail in the following chapter.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the grammatical foundations of passive voices and introduces the research question regarding the distinctive emotive function of the get-passive compared to the be-passive.
2. Be versus Get: Reviews existing theories on the differences between these passive forms, focusing on Hübler's concept of remarkable content, emotional attachment, and the role of dynamicity.
3. Methodology: Describes the corpus-based research approach using the Corpus Concordance Sampler to analyze 100 randomly chosen examples of both passive types.
4. Results: Presents the findings from the corpus analysis, categorized by remarkable content and non-remarkable uses, highlighting shifts in perspective such as the progressive aspect and outer forces.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings, confirming that the get-passive acts as an emotive language device linked to speaker attachment, while be-passives maintain a more formal, neutral stance.
Keywords
get-passive, be-passive, emotive language, emotional attachment, remarkable content, dynamicity, corpus linguistics, grammatical expression, passive voice, linguistic analysis, speaker attitude, progressive aspect, semantic properties, communication, propositional content
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the distinctive semantic and emotive functions of the get-passive in English, testing the theory that it serves as an emotive language device compared to the more neutral be-passive.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The main themes include the emotional involvement of the speaker, the concept of remarkable content, the distinction between state and transition (dynamicity), and the influence of social context on language use.
What is the primary research question?
The paper seeks to identify the specific features that distinguish the get-passive from the be-passive, specifically whether the get-passive is inherently linked to expressing a speaker's emotional attachment to a situation.
Which scientific methodology is applied in this study?
The study utilizes a corpus-based approach, analyzing 100 random examples of each passive construction taken from the Collins Wordbanks Online English corpus to evaluate their emotiveness and context.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body contrasts the two passive types through theoretical literature review, detailed methodological steps for categorizing examples, and a results section that examines how factors like human subjects and dynamicity influence passive selection.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include get-passive, be-passive, emotive language, emotional attachment, remarkable content, and dynamicity.
How does "remarkable content" influence the use of the get-passive?
According to the author's analysis, the get-passive is favored when the propositional content is "remarkable"—meaning it concerns core human demands like health, personal freedom, or status—and thus triggers emotional involvement.
What is the role of "outer forces" in the get-passive construction?
The get-passive implies a dynamic change of state and often conveys that the subject is subject to external forces, which creates a nuance of defencelessness that is absent in the more static be-passive.
Why are get-passives found more often in spoken or informal language?
The study suggests that informal communication is more person-centered and emotion-driven, which triggers the use of the get-passive to convey the speaker's personal attachment or involvement in the described event.
- Quote paper
- Norman Knabe (Author), 2008, The Get-Passives as an Emotive Language Device, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/120909
