PASS YAML source

code: PASS
xiao_number: B28
mfte_code: PASS
name: Agentless passives
definition: >-
  Passive voice constructions with BE auxiliary where no agent is expressed
  (e.g., "the ring was found", "he was taken prisoner").
normalization: finite_verbs
parent: PASS_ALL
detection:
- source: mfte
  requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  cql: '[lemma="be" & pos="VB.*"] [pos="VBN"]'
  anchor: last
  refines: VBN
  description: >-
    MFTE tags PASS on the VBN (past participle) following a form of BE.
    Anchor on last (the participle) to match MFTE's tagging convention
    and enable tag refinement (refines: VBN).
- requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  - dep
  semgrex: '{pos:/VB.*/}=verb >auxpass {lemma:be}'
  description: >-
    Verb with auxpass dependent. Agentless if no "by" + NP follows. Requires
    post-filter to exclude cases with "by" agent phrase.
- source: pybiber
  requires:
  - pos
  - dep
  cql: '[dep="auxpass"]'
  combine: "_ & !PASSBY"
  description: >-
    Auxpass dependency label. pybiber finds all auxpass tokens then excludes
    those with "by" 2-3 tokens ahead (which become PASSBY).
- requires:
  - lemma
  - pos
  cql: '[lemma="be"] [pos="VBN"]'
  description: >-
    BE auxiliary + past participle. Less accurate — false positives from
    progressive BE + adjective. Requires post-filter to exclude by-passives.
examples:
- text: The ring was _found_ in the river.
- text: He was _taken_ prisoner and _brought_ before the king.
- text: The letter was _written_ in haste.
- text: He must have been _burgled_.
  source: le_foll_2024
- text: They need to be _informed_.
  source: le_foll_2024
- text: He was _found_ out.
  source: le_foll_2024
- text: When were they _arrested_?
  source: le_foll_2024
non_examples:
- text: The door was open.
sources:
- biber_1988
- mfte
- pybiber
- xiao_2009
- bohmann_2019
notes: >-
  D5 loading .43. MFTE merges with by-passives ([[PASSBY]]). Agentless passives
  suppress the agent, making prose more abstract and impersonal.