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Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

How to change this sentence into the passive voice?

Howdy,

Can you help me transform the following sentence into

People have been trying to find a cure for cancer for so many years.


Thanks
  

Top answer

There is no good way of making that passive. The closest I can get is 'Attempts to find a cure for cancer have been made for years". I don't like it.

  • There is no good way of making that passive.
  • The closest I can get is 'Attempts to find a cure for cancer have been made for years".
  • I don't like it.
  • Actually, while I use passive constructions myself, I find that most passive constructions turned into passive ones look unnatural.
  • There is usually a reason for using the passive and, except in language classrooms, 'because somebody felt like transforming an active construction' is not a good reason.
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1 Answers
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There is no good way of making that passive.

The closest I can get is 'Attempts to find a cure for cancer have been made for years". I don't like it. Actually, while I use passive constructions myself, I find that most passive constructions turned into passive ones look unnatural.

There is usually a reason for using the passive and, except in language classrooms, 'because somebo

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