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Anonymous Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

Question in the passive

What science are we supposed to follow now?

Is the question above in the passive voice?

  

Top answer

anonymous What science are we supposed to follow now? Is the question above in the passive voice? No.

— CalifJim

  • anonymous What science are we supposed to follow now?
  • Is the question above in the passive voice?
  • No.
  • 'to be supposed to' contains an idiomatic use of a past participle.
  • The same applies to other similar idioms like 'be used to'.
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2 Answers
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anonymous

What science are we supposed to follow now?

Is the question above in the passive voice?

No. 'to be supposed to' contains an idiomatic use of a past participle.

The same applies to other similar idioms like 'be used to'. (What science are we used to following now?)

The words supposed and used are more

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Grammatically it has a passive form, but this "be supposed to" has developed into an idiomatic phrase that has lost most or all of its true passive sense, so, for example, we do not normally understand "What science are we supposed to follow now?" to imply that someone "supposes" us to follow a science.

(Cross-posted.)

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