英语动词被动语态在语法书上都有详略不同的交代，但大都着重它的构成形式，例证则往往不够。这种语态似乎在英语句子中比在汉语句子中更多出现，这点是我国初学者所经常忽略的。在某些句子中，英语总是用被动语态、而汉语则绝不能用，如“Shakespeare was born in 1564./Moliere was born in Paris”。初学英语的人接触到这样被动语态的句子恐不免感到奇怪，因为我们在汉语中惯于说"生于某某年"或"某某年生"，"生于巴黎"或"在巴黎出生"，从来不说一个人"被生出"。

在另一些句子中，英语可用主动及被动两种语态，汉语则倾向于用主动，如“Everybody likes him./He is liked by everybody”。汉语"人人喜欢他"看来比"他被人人喜欢"更现成和自然。有人以为这有一个强调的问题，用作主语的词是加以强调的。即令如此，按照英语结构写成的"他被大家喜欢"这样的句子，总是别扭。

下面就十个类别，举出一些句子，说明英语某些动词用于某一意义或在某一场合中常作被动语态。类别当然不能只是十个，这儿仅举常见的。每个类别下也只举五个句子，句子中的动词彼此不一样。为方便起见，句子首先采用大家熟知的 The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English(ALD)，其次是 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English(LDCE)，必要时从其他英美书刊补充少数句子，但不注明出处。

1.关于生病

The left lung is affected. _____ALD

He is confined to the house by illness. ____ ALD

He was seized with sudden chest pains. ____LDCE

He’s been troubled with a bad back since he was a child. ____LDCE

John was Invalided out of the army.

上面这些句子中被动语态在英语中很习惯化，如将动词改为主动语态，有不同程度的不顺。用汉语表达这些句子中的同样的概念，就可以不一定用被动语态。

2.关于疲倦困乏

He was doneup afterthe long ride. ALD

He was knocked uP after the longsteen climb. _____ ALD

He was almost fagged out. ______ ALD

I’m completely exhausted.____LDCE

I was spent with the fatigue of the voyage.

汉语说"累了"、"累垮了"极普通。如说由于某种原因而"累了"、"累垮了"，至少在结构上不用被动语态。这和第一类的例子是一致的。

3.关于喜悦、高兴

I was delighted to hear the news of your success._____ALD

We’re very pleased to see you here._____ALD

On hearing of the victory，the nation was transported with joy._____ALD

She was enchanted with the flowers you sent her. _____ALD

The children were fascinated by the toys in the shopwindows._____ ALD

汉语如说"被高兴"，将不成文理，说"使……高兴"或"为……高兴"，那也不能照英语被动语态去处理。事实上这头一句话照汉语是"我高兴地听到……"这虽带点欧化，但目前也通行了。最常见的恐怕还是"听到……我高兴"。无论如何。汉语说"高兴"，不能如英语那样用被动语态。

4.关于阻塞、拖延：

We’re been held up by fog. _____ ALD

The mountain roads were obstructed by falls of rock._____ALD

The train was delayed two hours. _____ALD

I was hindered from getting here.____ALD

The harbour was blocked by ice._____ALD

这第二句ALD英汉双解本译成"山路被落下石头所阻塞"。严格地说这句译文似乎欠流畅，尤其不能用于口语。当然，凡是阻力，总是外来的阻力，施于受事的主语，主语处于被动地位，但汉语不能采取英语的被动语态形式而完全不加变动。

5、关于习惯

He is quite used to hard work.____ALD

This is not the kind of treatment I am accustomed to. _____ALD

He is addicted to smoking. _____ALD

The old soldier was inured to danger. ____LDCE

He is given to long walks. _____LDCE

英语中有些动词，由于常用于被动语态，词典中对它们的分词(participle)形式另立专条著录，成为独立的词，其功能相当于形容词。以上例句中的动词就是典型的例子。例如，词典一般既有use这一专条(不定式动词)，又有 used;既有 accustom，又有 accustomed;既有give，又有given。但如inure及addict，在 ALD上只注明"常用于被动"(e)，尚未另立inured和 addicted专条，其他词典也大体是这样，虽然addicted还可以作为形容词，看成是独立的词条。然而不管这些词是否带有形容词的性质，在上面的句子中却具有被动语态的作用。