Passive & active form

Question

What do these sentences mean?1. Heaven is anguishing at the unfolded reality.2. Heaven is anguished at the unfolded reality.Thanks

Avangi · Accepted Answer

avid learner1. Heaven is anguishing at the unfolded reality.
2. Heaven is anguished at the unfolded reality.

#1 describes an action. Heaven is the actor.
#2 describes a reaction. Heaven could be the object of the action.

Regarding the difference between the two participles, consider:

Stop embarrassing me!

I am embarrassed by your behavior.

"To be" plus the past participle is sometimes ambiguous. It may be a passive structure, or it may be a copular verb with an adjective complement.

Some people say that even when the past participle is an adjective, it carries a passive implication.

The choice of preposition is interesting in your example.

If you had said, "Heaven is anguished by the unfolded reality," I'd be more inclined to call it a passive structure.

Someone or something is acting on or against Heaven.

But when you say "Heaven is anguished at the unfolded reality," Heaven may simply be an observer.

There doesn't really need to be intention. She was injured by the blast. This could be a complete accident.

This one is clearly a passive structure.

Avid learner · Answer

I think you are right; I should change "at" with "by".

Avangi · Answer

It may be arguable.

If we take the position that "to anguish" does not have a transitive meaning, then we're stuck with calling "anguished" an adjective. (Only transitive verbs can be used passively.)

Can you anguish someone? (I'm afraid I'll have to check on that. I should have done so before!

)

We don't commonly use "at" to identify an object. I may have painted myself into a corner.

Clearly, we can say, "He was made to be anguished by watching his team miss the goal again and again."

But nobody would! (anguished as an adjective)

(Passive structure with "made" as the past participle.)

How embarrassing! Cambridge Advanced Learners doesn't even list it as a verb.

In that case, a passive usage is not possible!

Edit.Well, cheer up! My old American Heritage lists "anguish" as a transitive verb!

Passive & active form

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