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Square Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Burnt/was burnt

Ten people burnt/was burnt to death in a fire in Birmingham last night.

Are both options equally good?
I choose "was burnt" but the key is "burnt".
Thanks.
  

Top answer

Square Are both options equally good? Grammatically, yes, but the active voice is the usual choice.

— Mister Micawber

  • Square Are both options equally good?
  • Grammatically, yes, but the active voice is the usual choice.
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5 Answers
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SquareAre both options equally good?
Grammatically, yes, but the active voice is the usual choice.
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Mr M means that you have to say were burnt because there were ten men. (I'm good at reading people's minds!Emotion: wink)
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Cool BreezeMr M means that you have to say were burnt because there were ten men.
Lord, how many beers do I owe you by now?!
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Thank you. I made a mistake.
In this case, I think #1 and #2 have different meaning. Why not?
1. Ten people burnt to death in a fire in Birmingham last night.
2. Ten people were burnt to death in a fire in Birmingham last night.
I guess that in #1, they burnt themselves accidentally while in #2 they were burnt by someone accidentally.
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Square1. Ten people burnt to death in a fire in Birmingham last night.2. Ten people were burnt to death in a fire in Birmingham last night.I guess that in #1, they burnt themselves accidentally while in #2 they were burnt by someone accidentally.
That might be possible. However, they can both have the same meaning. English isn't always very exact and the passi
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