Double passive
Hello. I've recently tried to think up an idea of how to make sentences like these passive:
1) During the whole film you want to empathize with the characters.
2) They tried to move the table to the wall.
I've heard that there's the "double passive" in English, but I have never seen it being used. Could you please tell me if that structure is common to use, should it be avoided and if the sentences below are okay and used. Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Derevenshina if the sentences below are okay and used I think you forgot to include the sentences.
- Derevenshina if the sentences below are okay and used I think you forgot to include the sentences.
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Derevenshina if the sentences below are okay and used
I think you forgot to include the sentences.
0Derevenshina1) During the whole film you want to empathize with the characters.
The characters have been portrayed in an irresistibly empathetic manner throughout the film.
Derevenshina They tried to move the table to the wall.
Moving the table to the wall was attempted / tried.
Those are normal passive
0DerevenshinaI've heard that there's the "double passive" in English
The attempted application of so-called "double passive" to your sentences would yield:
1a) During the whole film the characters were wanted to be empathised with.
2a) The table was tried to be moved to the wall.
These are horrible or impossible sentences.
0DerevenshinaI've heard that there's the "double passive" in English, but I have never seen it being used.
You won't see it much because it's usually so awkward that it interferes with our understanding of the meaning. That's what will happen if you try to express the two posted sentences with double passives.
There are some uses that aren't so bad, ho
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