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Chenyincheng Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Passive form

Hi all

Can you please take a look at the paragraph below and tell me whether or not the highlighted sentence was written in passive form? If it was, why hadn't the writer put "was" before "proved"? (Is my question grammatically okay?)

When the media reported that she was giving up recipe-writing to concentrate on her great love, Norwich City Football Club, in January 2003, it caused a national debate. The reports of her retirement proved somewhat exaggerated. Delia presented a BBC Two series in spring 2008 called How to Cheat and Delia's Classic Christmas in December 2009.

Thanks a lot
  

Top answer

chenyincheng Can you please take a look at the paragraph below and tell me whether or not the highlighted sentence was written in passive form? No. It's not passive.

— CalifJim

  • chenyincheng Can you please take a look at the paragraph below and tell me whether or not the highlighted sentence was written in passive form?
  • No.
  • It's not passive.
  • Only transitive verbs can be made passive.
  • In this case it is the intransitive form of prove that is being used.
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4 Answers
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chenyinchengCan you please take a look at the paragraph below and tell me whether or not the highlighted sentence was written in passive form?
No. It's not passive. Only transitive verbs can be made passive. In this case it is the intransitive form of prove that is being used. Here's the definition:

prove (intransitive): to turn out especia
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Hi,

Can you please take a look at the paragraph below and tell me whether or not the highlighted sentence was written in passive form? No, it's not passive. It's just Simple Past tense.

The verb 'prove' here has a meaning of 'turned out to be'.

Here's a simpler example. His illness proved fatal.

If it was, why hadn't didn't the writer
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Thank you very much, CalifJim. I get it now. Emotion: big smile
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And thank you, Clive, for your help, too.
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