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Cahneg Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Give Cuts & Bruises

Suppose a bus with passengers got in an accident.

"The accident gave the passengers cuts and bruises."
"The accident gave cuts and bruises to the passengers."

Is one form better than the other?
  

Top answer

" This is the best, because it isn't separating the the verb from the direct object.

— Cynthia3754

  • " This is the best, because it isn't separating the the verb from the direct object.
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7 Answers
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Yes, "The accident gave the passengers cuts and bruises." This is the best, because it isn't separating the the verb from the direct object.
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cahnegSuppose a bus with passengers got in an accident.
"The accident gave the passengers cuts and bruises."
"The accident gave cuts and bruises to the passengers."
It is understood as posted, but from an idiomatic and sound perspective, it is not natural to my ear.
If the bus
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.... Or my favorite is. The passengers got cuts and bruises as result of the bus accident. This is the most natural, everyday way that I would make this statement. I sometimes forget that I should correct more than grammar, so thank you, Grammarfreak.
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Yes Grammarfreak . Is it also somewhat related to the concept that we use a person as a subject on changing active into passive and we don't take object as a subject?
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rajesh jainIs it also somewhat related to the concept that we use a person as a subject on changing active into passive and we don't take object as a subject?
I am not sure I followed you competely.....
If you refer to "got" cuts and bruises, "got" is in no way used passively. The car got hit. Yes, "got hit" is passive in nature.
However, "got" means "
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No I mean "the passengers"(living things) should be made subject and not "the accident".
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rajesh jainNo I mean "the passengers"(living things) should be made subject and not "the accident".
No, that is not the reason. Whether you choose to construct the sentence in active or passive voice should depend on how you want to describe the event. Both the passangers and the accident can be the subject.
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