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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Passive Infinitive or Past Passive Infinitive
Do these sentences mean the same thing? I can't put my finger on why the second sentence seems wrong.
Passive Infinitive
I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't.
Past-passive Infinitive
I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't.
Passive Infinitive
I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't.
Past-passive Infinitive
I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't.
Top answer
Passive Infinitive I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't. --Past-passive-- Perfect Passive Infinitive I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't. To my ear they have the same meaning.
- Passive Infinitive I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't.
- --Past-passive-- Perfect Passive Infinitive I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't.
- To my ear they have the same meaning.
- The second one, though grammatically correct, is wordier than necessary.
- Maybe that's why it seems wrong to you.
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6 Answers
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Passive Infinitive
I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't.
--Past-passive-- Perfect Passive Infinitive
I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't.
To my ear they have the same meaning. The second one, though grammatically correct, is wordier than necessary. Maybe that's why it seems wrong to you.
It seems to need a phrase
I expected to be invited to the party, but I wasn't.
--Past-passive-- Perfect Passive Infinitive
I expected to have been invited to the party, but I wasn't.
To my ear they have the same meaning. The second one, though grammatically correct, is wordier than necessary. Maybe that's why it seems wrong to you.
It seems to need a phrase
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Hello,
How about if I use passive "past perfect" is this possible?
e.g
I expected to had been invited to the party (last week), but I wasn't.
MC
How about if I use passive "past perfect" is this possible?
e.g
I expected to had been invited to the party (last week), but I wasn't.
MC
00
mudclayI expected to had been invited ...Not possible. There are no infinitives that have the past or the past participle form after 'to'.
'to have' is correct, but 'to had' is wrong.
'to go' is correct, but 'to went' is wrong, and 'to gone' is wrong.
'to see' is correct, but 'to saw' is wrong, and 'to seen' is wrong.
00
Thanks CJ!I'll make another try for passive past perfect. Does it make sense?
" I had been expected to be
00
I'll make another try for passive past perfect. Does it make sense?
" I had been expected to be invited to his party then, but I wasn't."
Yes, that's fine.
Other passive past perfect examples:
All the documents had been thrown away before we arrived.
We discovered that the safe had been blown up and the money had been taken.
" I had been expected to be invited to his party then, but I wasn't."
Yes, that's fine.
Other passive past perfect examples:
All the documents had been thrown away before we arrived.
We discovered that the safe had been blown up and the money had been taken.
00
CJ,
Brad had been fed by the time you called.
My children had been sent to school when their teacher called.
MC
Brad had been fed by the time you called.
My children had been sent to school when their teacher called.
MC
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