Conclusion

Abstract

Throughout this book we have examined the passive voice and its related constructions both synchronically and diachronically. Our main argument is that the English passive is derived from an earlier perfective construction, and that we can observe intermediate constructions in the course of language history. In terms of the voice continuum, gradience is involved in the passive diathesis and quasi-passive, although such gradience may be more semantically or functionally oriented than syntactic. Since language change is a gradual process, it is natural that we can observe intermediate stages. This particular process involves various semantic and pragmatic characteristics, and the characteristics investigated in this work are summarised briefly below.