0
Ganesh77 Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
how to explain the usage of the ergative verb?
0 Here is the incorrect sentence: Last year, turnover was increased by 20%. 02 br
00 How to explain that this is an ergative verb and so the passive voice isn't correct in this sentence? 02 br
00 I previously taught: "turnover is an ergative verb, and so can be used both transitively (turnover increased) and intransitively (increase in turnover). For this reason, the passive voice is not used." Naturally this resulted in a lot of confused looking faces. 02 br
00 Any other way to go about explaining this usage? 02 br
00 Thanks!! 0-
00 How to explain that this is an ergative verb and so the passive voice isn't correct in this sentence? 02 br
00 I previously taught: "turnover is an ergative verb, and so can be used both transitively (turnover increased) and intransitively (increase in turnover). For this reason, the passive voice is not used." Naturally this resulted in a lot of confused looking faces. 02 br
00 Any other way to go about explaining this usage? 02 br
00 Thanks!! 0-
Top answer
0 In this usage, "turnover" is a noun, unless I'm really missing something. 0-
- 0 In this usage, "turnover" is a noun, unless I'm really missing something.
- 0-
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
28 Answers
0
0 In this usage, "turnover" is a noun, unless I'm really missing something. (not apple turnover) 02 br
02 br
00 "(turnover increased)" Isn't "increased" the intransitive verb and "turnover" the subject? 02 br
02 br
00 "(increase in turnover)" Don't we have two nouns separated by a preposition? 0-
02 br
00 "(turnover increased)" Isn't "increased" the intransitive verb and "turnover" the subject? 02 br
02 br
00 "(increase in turnover)" Don't we have two nouns separated by a preposition? 0-
00
0 Both correct, IMO, but see the frequency: 02 br
00 39 on "turnover was increased by" 02 br
05 0 02 br
02 br
00 614 on "turnover increased by" 02 br
05 1 00 0240href http://books.google.com/books?q=%22turnover+was+increased+by%22&btnG=Search+Books241href http://books.google.com/books?q=%22turnover+increased+by%22&btnG=Search+Books
00 39 on "turnover was increased by" 02 br
05 0 02 br
02 br
00 614 on "turnover increased by" 02 br
05 1 00 0240href http://books.google.com/books?q=%22turnover+was+increased+by%22&btnG=Search+Books241href http://books.google.com/books?q=%22turnover+increased+by%22&btnG=Search+Books
00
0 Okay, I get it. You mean "to increase" is an ergative verb. Sorry. I thought "ergative" must mean something really wierd. But now I see your point. 02 br
02 br
00 Last year my boss increased my salary by 10%. (transitive) 02 br
02 br
00 Last year my salary increased by 10% (intransitive) 02 br
02 br
00 Last year my boss liked my work, so next
02 br
00 Last year my boss increased my salary by 10%. (transitive) 02 br
02 br
00 Last year my salary increased by 10% (intransitive) 02 br
02 br
00 Last year my boss liked my work, so next
00
0 thx for the replies!! 02 br
00 Sorry about the mix up.. 'increased' is the ergative verb 02 br
00 Would like to know how to explain how the sentence "Last year, turnover was increased by 20%" needn't be written in the passive voice. 02 br
00 How to explain that because 'increased' is an ergative verb, the passive voice isn't correct in this sentence? 0-
00 Sorry about the mix up.. 'increased' is the ergative verb 02 br
00 Would like to know how to explain how the sentence "Last year, turnover was increased by 20%" needn't be written in the passive voice. 02 br
00 How to explain that because 'increased' is an ergative verb, the passive voice isn't correct in this sentence? 0-
00
0 Thx Marius for the stats. Increased is used (with relatively low frequency) in exactly the way I'm supposed to teach that it doesn't work. Nevertheless I need to explain why between the choices "Last year, turnover increased by 20%" and "Last year, turnover was increased by 20%" the first is correct usage. 0-
00
0 Why do you think that it can't be used as "my salary was increased" or "turnover was reduced"? 02 br
02 br
00 "Whoever it was who made the decision, and I don't know who it was, but I'm grateful to them increased my salary." 02 br
02 br
00 Transitive, passive seems okay to me! 0-
02 br
00 "Whoever it was who made the decision, and I don't know who it was, but I'm grateful to them increased my salary." 02 br
02 br
00 Transitive, passive seems okay to me! 0-
00
0 The sentence "Last year, turnover was increased by 20%" is called a 'common mistake' in my course book, and I have to go into the classroom and teach why this choice is wrong while "Last year, turnover increased by 20%" is correct. Furthermore, I should explicitly explain why the passive voice is not okay. 02 br
00 The usage "turnover was increased" doesn't sound right because it sug
00 The usage "turnover was increased" doesn't sound right because it sug
00
0 I'm not really into this, ganesh, but are you really sure about your rule? 02 br
02 br
00 I was just looking at some things about "middle voice" which looked at ergative verbs as those which may be used in active voice, passive voice, and middle voice. I broke the window. The window was broken. The window broke. (Middle voice may not accept an agent.) They say 01 u 0
02 br
00 I was just looking at some things about "middle voice" which looked at ergative verbs as those which may be used in active voice, passive voice, and middle voice. I broke the window. The window was broken. The window broke. (Middle voice may not accept an agent.) They say 01 u 0
00
0 01 blockquote
01 cite 10 ganesh77 12 cite 10 The usage "turnover 11 b 10 was 12 b 10 increased" doesn't sound right because it suggests there is an 11 b 10 agent actively involved in increasing turnover, which is what companies try to avoid 12 b 10 . 12 br10 OK, yes, this is the on
12 blockquote
00
0 Marius 02 br
00 A thousand thank yous for affirming that this usage doesn't work because of the particular context it is embedded in. That's something tangible to explain to the trainees. 0-
00 A thousand thank yous for affirming that this usage doesn't work because of the particular context it is embedded in. That's something tangible to explain to the trainees. 0-
0
Related Questions