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Tenjing Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Are these passive sentences correct?

A. I was talked to by my friend.
b. I was cared about by her.
C. My office was broken into. If first two are incorrect, why is 'c' correct? I saw this sentence on a book. Please explain.
  

Top answer

They are not incorrectly formed; they are just not used because they are awkward. C is common because the agent is unknown. If it had a useless agent ('My office was broken into by them'), it would also be too awkward to live.

— Mister Micawber

  • They are not incorrectly formed; they are just not used because they are awkward.
  • C is common because the agent is unknown.
  • If it had a useless agent ('My office was broken into by them'), it would also be too awkward to live.
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6 Answers
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They are not incorrectly formed; they are just not used because they are awkward. C is common because the agent is unknown. If it had a useless agent ('My office was broken into by them'), it would also be too awkward to live.
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You mean without agents they are all correct??
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No, it is case by case. You need to decide when it is reasonable to cast into passive voice. (Hint: the answer is 'seldom').
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So they are all grammatically correct, right?
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tenjing So they are all grammatically correct, right?
Yes, but as Mister M. said, they sound like they came from the mouth of an ungainly verbal contortionist.
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tenjing So they are all grammatically correct, right?
As I said in another thread recently:"



Correctness' is not really relevant if the structure is not used.
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