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Lexi0077 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Focus on/be focused on
Hi everyone,
I want to know the usage of focus on/be focused on.
* I focused on identifying problems.
* I was focused on identifying problems.
Are both sentences correct?
Which sentence would you use?
Could you tell me any difference between "focus on" and "be focused on" in terms of nuance?
Thank you,
I want to know the usage of focus on/be focused on.
* I focused on identifying problems.
* I was focused on identifying problems.
Are both sentences correct?
Which sentence would you use?
Could you tell me any difference between "focus on" and "be focused on" in terms of nuance?
Thank you,
Top answer
"To focus" can be transitive or intransitive. You can focus your camera, and you can focus on your camera. When you use the transitive in active voice, it imphasizes your intention.
- "To focus" can be transitive or intransitive.
- You can focus your camera, and you can focus on your camera.
- When you use the transitive in active voice, it imphasizes your intention.
- I focused my attention on getting the ball over the plate.
- Intransitive may be a little less forceful: I focused on getting the ball over the plate.
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4 Answers
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"To focus" can be transitive or intransitive. You can focus your camera, and you can focus on your camera.
When you use the transitive in active voice, it imphasizes your intention. I focused my attention on getting the ball over the plate.
Intransitive may be a little less forceful: I focused on getting the ball over the plate.
Transitive passive
When you use the transitive in active voice, it imphasizes your intention. I focused my attention on getting the ball over the plate.
Intransitive may be a little less forceful: I focused on getting the ball over the plate.
Transitive passive
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Hello Avangi,
Thank you for your comment and I am sorry for the delay in my response to your message.
"I didn't see the train coming because I was focused on the guy behind me."
If I understand what you have said, this sentence seems to include the nuance like the person failed to see the train coming because the presence of the guy distracted him/her...
Thank you for your comment and I am sorry for the delay in my response to your message.
"I didn't see the train coming because I was focused on the guy behind me."
If I understand what you have said, this sentence seems to include the nuance like the person failed to see the train coming because the presence of the guy distracted him/her...
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lexi0077 "Be focused on A" sounds like "focus on A involuntarily."It can be exactly that, because "focused" in this case works as an adjective. There's no actor, as there could be with a finite verb, implied or otherwise.
In some cases the "past participle derived adjective" has been recognized by the grammar community as an adjecti
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My apologies for my delayed reply! Thank you for your detailed comment.
I think this forum has been supported by many excellent people, like you.
Some English grammatical terms that appeared in the comment were difficult for me, but I think I have understood them.
"Focused" is shown as an adjective in the dictionaries that I have.
Thank you again,
I think this forum has been supported by many excellent people, like you.
Some English grammatical terms that appeared in the comment were difficult for me, but I think I have understood them.
"Focused" is shown as an adjective in the dictionaries that I have.
Thank you again,
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