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Jooney Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Past perfect and infinitival relative clause
Hi,
Performers at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, where the Grammys are to be held, heard about Ms. Houston’s death just as Rihanna and Coldplay were about to rehearse their number for the awards.
The show’s producer, Ken Ehrlich, debated about how to acknowledge Ms. Houston’s death. (The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James, the blues singer who died last month, as well as a video segment about music figures who died in 2011.)
Let me simplify the bold part so that we can analyze it a little bit easier.
The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q1) Is this a passive clause? The active counterpart might look something like the following:
We already scheduled the show to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q2) I think the passsive "be" should be in past form. Shouldn't it?
The show was already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q3) Shouldn't the writer have used the past perfect since the tribute had been planned before they heard Whitney Houston death news? (Please note the previous question was made on the basis that the use of the past perfect wasn't proper)
The show had been already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q4) Is the underlined part a infinitival relative clause?
We already scheduled the show to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
This active clause can be paraphrased as follows:
We already scheduled the show that was going to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
If you convert this into a passive clause, you get the original example.
The show is(was) already sheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
I'd appreciate your help.
Performers at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, where the Grammys are to be held, heard about Ms. Houston’s death just as Rihanna and Coldplay were about to rehearse their number for the awards.
The show’s producer, Ken Ehrlich, debated about how to acknowledge Ms. Houston’s death. (The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James, the blues singer who died last month, as well as a video segment about music figures who died in 2011.)
Let me simplify the bold part so that we can analyze it a little bit easier.
The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q1) Is this a passive clause? The active counterpart might look something like the following:
We already scheduled the show to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q2) I think the passsive "be" should be in past form. Shouldn't it?
The show was already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q3) Shouldn't the writer have used the past perfect since the tribute had been planned before they heard Whitney Houston death news? (Please note the previous question was made on the basis that the use of the past perfect wasn't proper)
The show had been already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q4) Is the underlined part a infinitival relative clause?
We already scheduled the show to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
This active clause can be paraphrased as follows:
We already scheduled the show that was going to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
If you convert this into a passive clause, you get the original example.
The show is(was) already sheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
I'd appreciate your help.
Top answer
The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James . Q1) Is this a passive clause? Q2) I think the passive "be" should be in past form.
- The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James .
- Q1) Is this a passive clause?
- Q2) I think the passive "be" should be in past form.
- - - It is a passive verb form, but it is used as a present condition of the show; it borders on the adjectival.
- 'Is' is normal here.
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4 Answers
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The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James.
Q1) Is this a passive clause? Q2) I think the passive "be" should be in past form. Shouldn't it?-- It is a passive verb form, but it is used as a present condition of the show; it borders on the adjectival. 'Is' is normal here.
Q3) Shouldn't the writer ha
Q1) Is this a passive clause? Q2) I think the passive "be" should be in past form. Shouldn't it?-- It is a passive verb form, but it is used as a present condition of the show; it borders on the adjectival. 'Is' is normal here.
Q3) Shouldn't the writer ha
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Thank you very much for the reply, Mr. M
The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James..
I now can see why the "be" verb was used in its present tense form. As a non-native speaker, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a verbal passive from an adjectival passive. This is especilally so when an adjective use of
The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James..
I now can see why the "be" verb was used in its present tense form. As a non-native speaker, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a verbal passive from an adjectival passive. This is especilally so when an adjective use of
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The show is already scheduled to include a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James..
Q1) So how should I go about interpreting the whole sentence?
The show is already scheduled: it includes a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James-- I think this is a closer interpretation.
Q2) Is the infinitival clause a complement
Q1) So how should I go about interpreting the whole sentence?
The show is already scheduled: it includes a tribute by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt to Etta James-- I think this is a closer interpretation.
Q2) Is the infinitival clause a complement
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