agent function

Question

"Politicians bribe easily." Which is true? A: Politicians do not function as an agent in the act of bribing there.B. Politicians function as an agent in the act of bribing there.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Politicians take bribes easily.

Milky · Answer

Mister MicawberPoliticians take bribes easily.

Marius Hancu · Answer

Same reading as MM's here, but only from the experience with the  politicians, not from the grammar, which doesn't tell you the  difference<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Milky · Answer

Marius HancuSame reading as MM's here, but only from the experience with the politicians, not from the grammar, which doesn't tell you the difference

That's right.

CalifJim · Answer

only from experience ... not from the grammar ...

On the contrary, the use of this grammatical formula -- simple present, "easily", no object -- is one of the most obvious markers of "middle voice".

Preangoricians obstrapulize easily.

This can only mean that it's easy to obstrapulize preangoricians, and no experience with preangoricians nor knowledge of obstrapulization is necessary.

CJ

Milky · Answer

CalifJimonly from experience ... not from the grammar ...

On the contrary, the use of this grammatical formula -- simple present, "easily", no object -- is one of the most obvious markers of "middle voice".

Preangoricians obstrapulize easily.

This can only mean that it's easy to obstrapulize preangoricians, and no experience with preangoricians nor knowledge of obstrapulization is necessary.

CJ

<this grammatical formula -- simple present, "easily", no object >

"Politicians" are the object (in subject position) there.

Actually, understanding the middle voice constructions requires not just syntatical consideration but also lexico-semantic consideration.

Politicians bribe easiliy. (They are easily bribed)

Steve hates happily. (*He is easily hated.)

Marge sleeps easily. (She sleeps with ease. Unless someone considers the use of "to sleep" to mean "she is slept" there.)

Milky · Answer

How about:

politicians bribe with ease

politicians lie with ease

There, one has to consider more than the syntactical make up in order to interpret correctly.

MrPedantic · Answer

Milky"Politicians bribe easily."

I've seen this before. What's the source, Milky?

MrP

Milky · Answer

MrPedantic
Milky
"Politicians bribe easily."

I've seen this before. What's the source, Milky?

MrP

A hundred sources. It's commonly discussed in linguistics' circles.

MrPedantic · Answer

And who first used it as an example?

MrP

agent function

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