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Hi,
Why would we consider the participle an adjective in the simple present and a verb in the present perfect?
Sorry, that seat's been taken.

What do we call it in the simple past?
Sorry, that seat was taken.

Is there no passive in the simple present? What am I missing? (I am devastated!)

Many thanks, - A.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Hi Avangi
I think some people call the past participle an adjective when it denotes a state, not an action. I have dealt with this before. If you are interested, you'll find my examples
I just wonder what speakers of English would say if the closing of a door did take all night?

There's only one passive structure (be + past participle) in English and there is no accusative or other grammatical case to indicate a complete or partial object. English lacks the means to denote such subtleties, I think.
I remember a Swedish girl called Magda, who was puzzled by this phenomenon two years ago. In Swedish there are three passive structures and the choice is often determined by your need, state or action. Magda wondered how on earth two completely different Swedish sentences turned out the same in English! Unfortunately I didn't write down the number of my reply to her and thus can't give it to you.
CB

Avangi · Answer

Cool Breeze some people call the past participle an adjective when it denotes a state, not an action.

Thanks, CB.

So if I asked such a person to use the present passive of one of the listed transitive verbs in a sentence, how might he reply? (to specify; impeach; edit; isolate; destroy; deny)

(I just looked for a few which I thought were transitive only. I'm having a hard time picturing something acted upon which is not thereby placed in a state.)

Best wishes, - A.

Edit. Okay, I should have read your "door" example first. It's contextual, right? By referring to the time at which the action is habitually performed, we get the same effect as placing it in the future or in the past. That is, at this particular present moment, the door is not necessarily "closed." (The door is closed at eight o'clock.) A poor excuse for present tense

I think I'm starting to get it. The motion is denied. I suppose that's an action.

Cool Breeze · Answer

AvangiSo if I asked such a person to use the present passive of one of the listed transitive verbs in a sentence, how might he reply? (to specify; impeach; edit; isolate; destroy; deny)

Well, if action is meant, the tense is shown in the passive auxiliary to be: His texts are edited every morning. (No doubt the texts get placed in a state as a result.)
English is not the most exact of languages as far as the passive is concerned. Context is often very important for correct understanding; we have to look for possible expressions of time, for example, as in my sentence The door is closed...

Here's another example. Suppose we are in a restaurant and I walk in looking for a table. A waiter says to me:

1. This table is reserved. He does not refer to the act of reserving the table. His reference is to the state the table is in. Reserved is a verb but it is used adjectivally.
2. This table has been reserved. The reference is to the act of reservation. Somebody has perhaps telephoned and reserved a table for himself or his party.
But English is very vague and ambiguous. In some other context even The table has been reserved may refer to a state. If I say This table has been reserved many times it is really impossible to say whether action or state is meant without more context. I don't understand why you worry about things like these because a native speaker will automatically use the right verb form.
Cheers, CB

Avangi · Answer

Thanks again, CB. (It seem like this conundrum exists only in the simple present.) Edit. Okay, "has been reserved many times" - I missed that on the first pass. (very good)

The reason I worry about it is because I sometimes find myself in the position of a recreational analyst, rather than a recreational speaker. - A.

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