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Sb70012 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

[bored by] Vs. [bored with]

Hello,
Is [bored with] always interchangeable with [bored by]?
Can we say that they are almost the same thing?

Are you bored with your present job?
He was getting bored with doingthe same thing every day.
I am bored with this old car.

For example, can we use [bored by] in the above examples?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

sb70012 For example, can we use [bored by] in the above examples? It would not be natural. "Bored by" is passive and needs an agent that specifically causes you to feel bored.

— AlpheccaStars

  • sb70012 For example, can we use [bored by] in the above examples?
  • It would not be natural.
  • "Bored by" is passive and needs an agent that specifically causes you to feel bored.
  • I was so bored by the professor's monotone droning voice that I nearly fell asleep during the lecture.
  • "bored with X" is being in a situation, X, that you do not find interesting.
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5 Answers
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sb70012For example, can we use [bored by] in the above examples?
It would not be natural.

"Bored by" is passive and needs an agent that specifically causes you to feel bored.

I was so bored by the professor's monotone droning voice that I nearly fell asleep during the lecture.

"bored with X" is being in a situation, X, that yo
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AlpheccaStars It would not be natural."Bored by" is passive and needs an agent that specifically causes you to feel bored.I was so bored by the professor's ....
Thanks for answering but aren't these two in passive?
I am bored with this old car. = (this is passive and the agent is the old car)

Are you b
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sb70012I am bored with this old car
It is passive.

To me, the car itself is not what is boring you.
The experience of driving it or looking at it is what bores you.

You mean:
I am tired of driving this old car and seeing it parked outside. I want to get a new one.

I make a distinction between people who actively bore you (by
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sb70012Thanks for answering but aren't these two in passive?I am bored with this old car. = (this is passive and the agent is the old car)
At the risk of being nit-picky, I don't see this as passive. I see "bored" as an adjective, similar to "content" in "I am content with this", for example.
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GPYAt the risk of being nit-picky, I don't see this as passive.
Good point.
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