Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences are sentences that request the person we are speaking to to do or not
to do something. Based on the intonation used, imperative sentences can be divided into
commands, requests, invitations and warnings:
Duduk!
Duduklah.
Tolong ambilkan buku saya.
Silakan duduk.
Izinkan saya menyampaikan sepatah dua
patah kata.
Harap Anda tunggu di luar.
Mari kita makan sekarang.
Ayo, habiskan kue itu.
Jangan buang sampah di sini.
Awas ada anjing.

Sit.
Do sit.
Please get me my book.
Please sit down.
Allow me to say one or
two words.
Please wait outside.
Lets eat now.
Come, finish the cake.
Dont through rubbish
here.
Beware of dog.

Command
Command, more
polite
Request
Request
Request
Request
Invitation
Invitation
Warning
Warning

Passive Sentences
Not all active sentences have corresponding forms in the passive. Only active and
transitive sentences(SPOC* and SPOA*) can be transformed into passive sentences.
Transitive sentences can be transformed into passive sentences by:
1. making the object of the active sentence become the subject of the passive
sentence;
2. replacing the prefix me- with di- (see prefix di- chapter)
3. making the subject of the active sentence become the agent, recipient of the
passive form signaled by the preposition oleh(by) which may be left out if the
doer is obvious or unimportant.

Agentive Passive Sentences

Agentive passive sentences are where the doer or the agent is explicitly expressed by the
proposition oleh(by) plus agent.

Active Sentences
Subject Predicate
Object Adverb Meaning
Anwar sudah mendengar berita itu kemarin. He heard the news yesterday.
Dia
bisa meminjam uang
dari Bank. He can borrow the money from the bank.
Passive Sentences
Subject Predicate
sudah
Berita itu
didengar
Uang
bisa dipinjam

Agent
oleh
Anwar
olehnya

Adverb

Meaning
The news was heard by him yesterday.
kemarin.
Money can be borrowed by him from the
dari Bank.
bank.

Passive sentences are also called object-focus sentences, because the object is the focus
of the attention. They are commonly used especially in newspaper headlines.

Passive Sentences For The First and Second Person

Some grammarians argue that the rules for transforming active sentences into passive
sentences are not applicable for the first(saya, aku) or second person(kamu, kau,
engkau, Anda). It only applies if the subject or doer is the third person.
Examples
Active Sentences

Passive Sentences(1)

Saya menulis buku itu. Buku itu ditulis oleh saya.

Aku menulis buku itu. Buku itu ditulis oleh aku.
I wrote the book.
The book was written by me.
Kamu menerima
bungkusan itu kemarin.
Kau menerima
bungkusan itu.
You received the
packaged yesterday.

Bungkusan itu diterima olehmu(oleh

kamu) kemarin.
Bungkusan itu diterima oleh engkau
kemarin.(never said this way)
The packaged was received by you
yesterday

Passive Sentences(2)
Buku itu saya tulis.
Buku itu kutulis.
The book was written by
me.
Bungkusan itu kamu
terima kemarin.
Bungkusan itu kauterima
kemarin.
The packaged was
received by you yesterday

When the first and the second pronoun happen to be aku(I) and engkau, kau(you), the
clitic form ku and kau is used and is joined together with the verbs.
Most grammarians think the correct passive form is Passive Sentences(2). The only
grammarians who accept both Passive Sentences(1) and (2) are Dr. Gorys Keraf, R.
Ross Macdonald and Prof. Dr. Soenjono Darjowidjojo.
Read also this article: The Passive: Apa yang Sebaiknya Guru Ajarkan?

Non-agentive Passive Sentences

Newspaper headlines are full of non-agentive passive sentences where doers are omitted
because they are understood or not important.
Tiga pejabat baru dilantik.
Three new officers were appointed.
Dua polisi ditindak.
Two policemen were disciplined.
Supaya mudah dibaca, tulislah besar- To make it easy for people to read, please write in
besar.
big letters.

Passive Sentences With Prefix terThe prefix ter- is also used to express the passive voice but the prefix ter- implies that the
action is accidentally done.(see prefix ter- chapter)
Penumpang itu dilempar ke luar.
The passenger was thrown outside.
Penumpang itu terlempar ke laut.
The passenger was accidentally thrown outside.
Kaki orang itu diinjak oleh
Ahmad.
Kaki orang itu terinjak oleh
Ahmad.

The mans foot was trampled on by Ahmad.

The mans foot was accidentally trampled on by
Ahmad.

The house was burned down last night.

Rumahnya dibakar tadi malam.
The house was burned down by accident last night.
Rumahnya terbakar tadi malam.

Passive Sentences With Affix ke-an

The affix ke-an has a passive tone also.
Saya kedinginan karena AC.
Mereka kehujanan kemarin.
Soal itu ketahuan oleh
orangtuanya.
Saya kehabisan uang.
Tadi malam saya kecurian dompet.

I suffered from the cold because of the air

conditioner.
They were caught in the rain(yesterday).
The matter was found out by his parents.
I ran out of money.
Last night my wallet was stolen.

Passive Sentences With The Word Kena

Saya ditipu oleh orang itu. Saya kena tipu orang itu.
Uangnya dicuri.
Uangnya kena curi.
Kami didenda polisi.
Kami kena denda polisi.
Anak itu dihukum
Anak itu kena hukum
bapaknya.
bapaknya.

I was cheated by that person.

His money was stolen.
We were fined by the police.
That boy was punished by his
father.

*)SPOC: Subject Predicate Object Complement

SPOA: Subject Predicate Object Adverb
See Sentence Pattern chapter.