Pseudo Passive

Question

heyI'm  wondering since pseudo passive is made up of non transitive verbs and the verb works as an adjective for pseudo passive, so is it correct to say that if a non transitive verb is used as past participle it would always work as an adjective.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymous
~~hey~~
im wondering since pseudo passive is made up of non transitive verbs and the verb works as an adjective for pseudo passive, so is it correct to say that if a non transitive verb is used as past participle it would always work as an adjective.

The pseudo-passive is made up of intransitive verbs, and the verb functions as an adjective, so does the past participle of an intransitive verb always function as an adjective?

I recast your question so it's easier to understand.

1) Where do get the idea that a pseudo-passive consists of intransitive verbs?

The problem is complicated is a pseudo-passive. be (is) is intransitive, but complicate (complicated) is not.

2) You mention verbs. Then you say the verb (one) functions as an adjective. Where did the other verb(s) go?

3) No, the past participle of an intransitive verb does not always function as an adjective. Some of them never function as adjectives. Here are some intransitive verbs and their past participles followed by impossible sentences in which the writer tried to use the past participle as an adjective.

be - been ?He seemed been.
occur - occurred ?It was occurred.
remain - remained ?They have been remained.

CJ

BillJ · Answer

anonymousI'm wondering since pseudo passive is made up of non transitive verbs and the verb works as an adjective for pseudo passive, so is it correct to say that if a non transitive verb is used as past participle it would always work as an adjective.

It's true that adjectival passives (your pseudo-passives) use adjectives formed from past participles, and it's also true that they are complex-intransitive clauses (S-V-PC). But it's not the case that all past participles are always adjectives. Many of them function as verbs, as in She has written another novel; I could have you dismissed on the spot, where "written" and "dismissed" are verbs, not adjectives.

Many of them can be both verbs and adjectives:

The window was deliberately broken by the thieves. [past participle form of verb]

It didn't look broken to me. [past-participial adjective]

Incidentally, in my experience the term 'pseudo-passive' applies to clauses like This bed has been slept in, with a stranded preposition (also known as prepositional passives).

Pseudo Passive

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