B1 · Intermediate Chapter 30

Advanced Passive Constructions

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of indirect speech by learning how to focus on actions instead of agents.

  • Identify the unintentional 'ter-' passive construction.
  • Formulate passive sentences without specifying an actor.
  • Select the most natural voice for formal and informal contexts.
Shift your focus, master the Indonesian passive voice.

What You'll Learn

Explores 'ter-' passive and agentless passive structures. Teaches nuances in passive voice usage.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Describe accidents or unintentional events using the 'ter-' prefix.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Write formal reports using agentless passive constructions.

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

No Agent

Never use 'oleh' with ter-.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ter- Passive
💡

Check the Prefix

Always ensure you remove 'me-' before adding 'di-'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentless Passive
💡

Use 'bahwa'

Always include 'bahwa' after the passive reporting verb to connect the clause.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Nuances
💡

Focus on the Object

Always identify the object first before forming the passive sentence.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active Choice

Key Vocabulary (6)

terbawa carried away unintentionally dilakukan is done terlihat seen/visible disimpan is stored perubahan change tujuan goal/objective

Real-World Preview

alert-triangle

Reporting an Accident

Review Summary

  • ter- + verb
  • di- + verb
  • Context-dependent
  • Active vs Passive

Common Mistakes

The 'ter-' passive is not used with an agent (saya). It describes the object's state.

Wrong: Saya terpecah piring.
Correct: Piringnya terpecah.

In Indonesian, active is preferred over adding 'oleh' (by) unless necessary for emphasis.

Wrong: Dibersihkan oleh saya.
Correct: Saya membersihkan.

Agentless passive is best when the actor is obvious or irrelevant.

Wrong: Toko ditutup oleh mereka.
Correct: Toko ditutup.

Next Steps

You've tackled a challenging topic with grace. Keep practicing, and these structures will soon feel second nature!

Write a 5-sentence summary of your day using only passive voice.

Continue to: Conditional Sentences

Quick Practice (10)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Pintu itu tertutup.
State passive.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ter- Passive

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nasi dimakan saya
Object + di-verb + agent.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentless Passive

Select the correct form.

___ (dicuci) baju itu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Baju itu dicuci
Standard word order.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentless Passive

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dikatakan bahwa dia menang.
Correct structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Nuances

Fill in the blank with the correct passive form of 'baca'.

Buku itu ___ oleh saya.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: dibaca
Passive of 'baca' is 'dibaca'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentless Passive

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Dompet itu tertinggal oleh saya.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dompet itu tertinggal.
No agent.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ter- Passive

Fill in the blank.

Gelas itu ___ (fall).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: terjatuh
Accidental action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ter- Passive

Fill in the blank.

___ bahwa rapat ditunda.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ditetapkan
Passive verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Nuances

Select the formal version.

Which is more formal?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Passive reporting is more formal.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Nuances

Fill in the correct passive prefix.

Buku itu ___baca oleh Andi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: di
Passive voice uses the 'di-' prefix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active Choice

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, ter- verbs do not take an agent.
No, it also indicates states or potential.
No, use it when the object is the focus.
Yes, it is a prefix.
Yes, but only if you are specifying the source, e.g., 'Dikatakan oleh saksi bahwa...'.
It is used in formal or serious conversations, but 'katanya' is more common for casual talk.
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Complex Sentence Structures
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Conditional Sentences
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