Wednesday, March 30, 2011

an article with examples of 5 passive voice being used


A Coward

Guy de Maupassant
He was called Handsome Signoles by the society. His name was Viscount Gontran-Joseph de Signoles.
An orphan, and possessed of an adequate income, he cut a dash, as the saying is. A good figure and a good carriage is obtained by him, a sufficient flow of words to pass for wit, a certain natural grace, an air of nobility and pride, a gallant mustache and an eloquent eye, attributes which women like.
He was in demand in drawing-rooms, sought after for vales, and in men he inspired that smiling hostility which is reserved for vital and attractive rivals. He had been suspected of several love-affairs of a sort calculated to create a good opinion of a youngster. He lived a happy, care-free life, in the most complete well-being of body and mind. He was known to be a fine swordsman and a still finer shot with the pistol.
"When I come to fight a duel," he would say, "I shall choose pistols. With that weapon, I'm sure of killing my man."
One evening, the theater was entered by him and two ladies, quite young, friends of his, whose husbands were also of the party, and after the performance they were invited by him to take ices at Tortoni's.
They had been sitting there for a few minutes when a gentleman was noticed by him at a neighboring table staring obstinately at one of the ladies of the party. She seemed embarrassed and ill at ease, and bent her head. At last she said to her husband:
"There's a man staring at me. I don't know him; do you?"

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