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Can I just say that I'm right tired of people saying that any instance of "to be" as a linking verb (eg, the pen was green) is passive? Because, seriously, it isn't.
It may be uninteresting writing; it may be lazy writing; it may be writing that isn't descriptive. But it sure as sugar isn't passive. That term has a specific meaning in English grammar, and that meaning does not include "every usage of forms of "to be" ever."
Mistakes were made. [This sentence is in passive voice, because the actor, ie, who made the mistake, is not specified.]
He made a mistake. [This sentence is in the active voice, because the actor is specified.]
Going hiking in the mountains without a warm jacket was a mistake. [This is absolutely not a sentence in the passive voice. "Was" here links the two nouns/noun phrases [going hiking etc] and [a mistake] and equates them. It is a linking verb. It is not passive voice.]
Please count all the instances of "to be" as a linking verb in this post. There are fifteen, by my count, not including the example sentence. If you think they need to be rewritten to be "not passive," please make suggestions on how to do that without making it overwritten garbage.
It may be uninteresting writing; it may be lazy writing; it may be writing that isn't descriptive. But it sure as sugar isn't passive. That term has a specific meaning in English grammar, and that meaning does not include "every usage of forms of "to be" ever."
Mistakes were made. [This sentence is in passive voice, because the actor, ie, who made the mistake, is not specified.]
He made a mistake. [This sentence is in the active voice, because the actor is specified.]
Going hiking in the mountains without a warm jacket was a mistake. [This is absolutely not a sentence in the passive voice. "Was" here links the two nouns/noun phrases [going hiking etc] and [a mistake] and equates them. It is a linking verb. It is not passive voice.]
Please count all the instances of "to be" as a linking verb in this post. There are fifteen, by my count, not including the example sentence. If you think they need to be rewritten to be "not passive," please make suggestions on how to do that without making it overwritten garbage.
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Date: 2011-10-23 08:29 pm (UTC)From: