英语中的语态（voice)是动词的一种形式，它表示句子的主语和谓语之间的关系。传统语法中,语态可以分为两种形式：主动语态（active voice）和被动语态（passive voice）。从语法理论来说，主动语态与被动语态可以相互转换（通常不会引起句子意义的变化）；但在实际使用中,它们的相互转换有时却受到主语、谓语、宾语以及语义、语用、语境、语体、逻辑和惯用法等的限制。本文在借鉴中外已有研究成果的基础上,就主动语态与被动语态在某些情况下不能转换的问题做一简述。

一、不能转换为被动语态的几种情况

主动句并不意味着一定要有一个相对应的被动句不可,有时主动语态不能转换为被动语态。这主要有下列几种情况：

1.英国著名学者迈克尔•斯旺先生在2005年出版的《实用英语用法》（第3版）一书中指出，表示状态的及物动词不能用于被动语态。例如：

（1a）My shoes don’t fit me.

（1p）*I’m not fitted by my shoes.

（2a）They have a nice house.

（2p）*A nice house is had by them.

如果词义有不同，则可以用于被动语态：

（3a）They fitted new seat covers on their car.

（3p）New seat covers were fitted on their car.

（4a）You can have it just for asking.

（4p）It can be had just for asking.

表示状态的及物动词还有abide, befall, cost, fail, hold, lack, possess, resemble, suit, want等。在下面的句子中,也没有相应的被动语态：

（5a）He turned the corner.

（5p）*The corner was turned by him.

（6a）The gas entered the house.

（6p）*The house was entered by the gas.

句（5a）的宾语the corner并没有受到动作(turned)的直接影响,也就是说不是动作的承受者,因此该句没有与之相对应的被动语态；句（6a）的动作（entered）是无意志的,因此也没有与之相对应的被动语态。但下面两例的情况就不同了：

（7a）He turned the page.

（7p）The page was turned by him.

（8a）The thief entered the house.

（8p）The house was entered by the thief.

2.以反身代词为宾语的动词(即反身动词)一般不能用于被动语态。例如：

（9a）He praises himself.

（9p）*Himself is praised by him.

但可以转换为He is praised by himself.可以用作反身动词的还有apply, behave, conduct, deny, enjoy, forget, help， introduce， occupy, pride, seat, teach等。当动词的宾语为相互代词时,也不能用于被动语态：

（10a）We must help each other.

（10p）*Each other must be helped by us.

3.宾语前有与主语相同的物主形容词时,一般不能转换为被动句。例如：

（11a）The teacher shook his head.

（11p）*His head was shaken by the teacher.

句(11a)的意思是老师摇了摇头(即自己摇头),受动者为施动者身体的一部分,因而此句不能转换为被动句；此句的意思如果是老师摇他人的头,就可以转换为被动句：His head was shaken by the teacher.

把物主代词改为定冠词时,就可以用于被动语态：

（12a）The pilot ditched his plane.

（12p）The plane was ditched by the pilot.

4.缺乏实义或含义模糊的代词it作宾语时,不能转换为被动语态。例如：

（13a）We will battle it out together.

（13p）*It will be battled out together by us.

（14a）You will catch it for breaking the glasses.

（14p）*It will be caught by you for breaking the glasses.

以含义模糊的代词it作宾语的动词短语还有brave it, chef it, foot it, go it, hang it, lord it, make it, rough it, stick it, take it, walk it等。

5.主动句的宾语是与动词的意义相同或相近的同源宾语时,通常不能转换为被动语态。例如：

（15a）He began a good beginning.

（15p）*A good beginning was begun by him.

（16a）The wind blew a gale.

（16p）*A gale was blown by the wind.

但当它们具有及物动词的语法意义时,就可以用于被动语态：

（17a）She laughed a merry laugh.

（17p）A merry laugh was laughed by her.

6.动词的宾语是-ing分词短语和不定式短语时,一般不能转换为被动语态。例如：

（18a）I enjoy studying cognitive linguistics.

（18p）*Studying cognitive linguistics is enjoyed by me.

（19a）He likes to get up early.

（19p）*To get up early is liked by him.