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Damir Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Passive correction

Hi there!

Is this sentence correct? I'm confused about 'gets closed'. I think there should be 'is closed' but then it sounds like it's closed all the time. Please help!

When program starts for the first time it copies all embedded files to a temporary folder and uses it all the time until the program gets closed.
  

Top answer

Hi, the verb "get" is sometimes used to form passive tenses. My purse was stolen. / My purse got stolen.

— Kooyeen

  • Hi, the verb "get" is sometimes used to form passive tenses.
  • My purse was stolen.
  • / My purse got stolen.
  • I would say your example is ok.
  • If you want to avoid the passive, maybe you could say "until the program terminates".
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6 Answers
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Hi,
the verb "get" is sometimes used to form passive tenses.

My purse was stolen. / My purse got stolen.

I would say your example is ok. If you want to avoid the passive, maybe you could say "until the program terminates". Just my opinion.
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DamirWhen program starts for the first time it copies all embedded files to a temporary folder and uses it all the time until the program gets closed.

Without disagreeing with Koyeen about "get" sometimes used for the passive, I'd recommend "is."

I'd recommend this:

When the program starts for the first time, it copies all
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LOL, I hadn't even checked if the sentence was ok... I just commented on "gets closed". Anyway, yes, I forgot to mention "is" would be ok too. It's just less informal, so it might be better.
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Grammar Geek
DamirWhen program starts for the first time it copies all embedded files to a temporary folder and uses it all the time until the program gets closed.
Without disagreeing with Koyeen about "get" sometimes used for the passive, I'd recommend "is."

I'd recommend this:

When the program starts for the
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DamirI have one more question. Why does 'the' go before 'embedded files'?
I was unsure whether to answer... I started to have doubts too! What a shame, LOL. Anyway, I realized that you need the article because you are dealing with a specific set of elements (embedded files).
If you are talking in general about a kind of thing, you don't use the article, f
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DamirWhen program starts for the first time it copies all embedded files to a temporary folder and uses it all the time until the program gets closed.
If you want yet another suggestion:

When the/a program starts for the first time, it copies all embedded files to a temporary folder which/that it continues to use until the progra
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