Page 421 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

415
passives (4): verbs with two objects
Many verbs, such as give, send, show, lend, pay, promise, refuse, tell, offer, can be foUowed by two objects, an 'indirect object' and a 'direct object'. These usually refer to a person (indirect object) and a thing (direct object). Two structures are possible.
A. verb + indirect object + direct object She gave her sister the car.
I had already shown the policewoman Sam's photo.
B. verb + direct object + preposition + indirect object
She gave the car to her sister.
I had already shown Sam's photo to the policewoman.
Both of these structures can be made passive.
A. indirect object becomes subject of passive verb
Her sister was given the car.
The policewoman had already been shown Sam's photo.
B. direct object becomes subject of passive verb
The car was given to her sister.
Sam's photo had already been shown to the policewoman.
The choice between the two passive structures may depend on what has been said before, or on what needs to be put last in the sentence (see 414.2,4). Structure A (e.g. Her sister was given the car.) is the more common of the two. More examples:
I've just been sent a whole lot of information.
You were lent ten thousand pounds last year.
The visitors were shown a collection ofold manuscripts. They are being paid a lot of money for doing very little. He was refused a visa because he had been in prison. We will never be told the real truth.
How much have you been offered?
In structure B (e.g. The car was given to her sister), prepositions are sometimes dropped before indirect object pronouns.
This watch was given (to) me by my father.
Explain (see 198) and suggest (see 570) cannot be used in structure A.
The problem was explained to the children. (BUT NOT The e.'tilMen fIJet'e expltlil'teti the prtJblertt.)
A meeting place was suggested to us. (BUT NOT We were Sl;I;ggestet14 meeting piaee.)
For more details of verbs with two objects. see 610.
For more about prepositional verbs in the passive. see 416.
passives (4): verbs with two objects 415
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