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Stenka25 Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Flying vs. being flown
flying vs. being flown
The sentence below comes from a book entitled “Don't Know Much About the Universe.” Reading this sentence, I found something strange about AGREEMENT. If they are “being spun off the Earth” should things also be “being flown” into the space, not “flying”?
I don’t think the sentence in question is wrong; I’m just curious about whether the alternative (being flown) could also be possible or there is any chance of my suggestion being better than “flying.”
Thanks in advance.
http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=Am_jNiObYrEC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=%22kept+things+from+being+spun+off+the+Earth+and%22&source=bl&ots=8PGNKa9TT4&sig=U0h1IEGiuchoIoXZZJZIG-QCHJk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xcNCUsTSFcWjkgX8moGYCQ&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22kept%20things%20from%20being%20spun%20off%20the%20Earth%20and%22&f=false
The idea of a moving Earth seemed implausible, and people who had no knowledge of gravity — the force that keeps our feet on the ground — scoffed for centuries: If Aristarchus was right, what kept things from being spun off the Earth and flying into space?
The sentence below comes from a book entitled “Don't Know Much About the Universe.” Reading this sentence, I found something strange about AGREEMENT. If they are “being spun off the Earth” should things also be “being flown” into the space, not “flying”?
I don’t think the sentence in question is wrong; I’m just curious about whether the alternative (being flown) could also be possible or there is any chance of my suggestion being better than “flying.”
Thanks in advance.
http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=Am_jNiObYrEC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=%22kept+things+from+being+spun+off+the+Earth+and%22&source=bl&ots=8PGNKa9TT4&sig=U0h1IEGiuchoIoXZZJZIG-QCHJk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xcNCUsTSFcWjkgX8moGYCQ&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22kept%20things%20from%20being%20spun%20off%20the%20Earth%20and%22&f=false
The idea of a moving Earth seemed implausible, and people who had no knowledge of gravity — the force that keeps our feet on the ground — scoffed for centuries: If Aristarchus was right, what kept things from being spun off the Earth and flying into space?
Top answer
"being spun" is passive and "flying" is active. There is no problem with mixing passive and active like this. "being flown" would imply that someone was flying these things (as they might fly an aeroplane, for example), which would not make sense in the context.
- "being spun" is passive and "flying" is active.
- There is no problem with mixing passive and active like this.
- "being flown" would imply that someone was flying these things (as they might fly an aeroplane, for example), which would not make sense in the context.
- However, "spinning" would work in place of "being spun" with no great change in meaning.
- The differences are just down to "the way the verbs work".
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4 Answers
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"being spun" is passive and "flying" is active. There is no problem with mixing passive and active like this.
"being flown" would imply that someone was flying these things (as they might fly an aeroplane, for example), which would not make sense in the context.
However, "spinning" would work in place of "being spun" with no great change in meaning.
The differences are j
"being flown" would imply that someone was flying these things (as they might fly an aeroplane, for example), which would not make sense in the context.
However, "spinning" would work in place of "being spun" with no great change in meaning.
The differences are j
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If Aristarchus was right, what kept things from being spun off the Earth and flying into space?
The objects were spun off by the Earth. (passive voice). If you have the child's toy, a top, put some peanut butter on it and spin it, then some of the peanut butter comes off. It is spun off into the air.
Once launched, things can then fly, like birds.
eg.:.
The objects were spun off by the Earth. (passive voice). If you have the child's toy, a top, put some peanut butter on it and spin it, then some of the peanut butter comes off. It is spun off into the air.
Once launched, things can then fly, like birds.
eg.:.
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