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Debpriya De Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Stand sb up

Is the phrasal verb "stand up" as in "I was stood up by my friends at the bar" used only in the passive ?
Is it okay to say "I intend to stand my girlfriend up" ?
  

Top answer

Greetings, Debpriya De, there is nothing wrong about using this phrasal verb in active voice, but you should keep in mind that it sounds informal. As you most probably know, if a boyfriend or girlfriend stands you up , they fail to keep an arrangement to meet you: We were to have had dinner together yesterday evening, but he stood me up . <active> He was in a foul mood because he had been stood up .

— Andriy Lapin

  • Greetings, Debpriya De, there is nothing wrong about using this phrasal verb in active voice, but you should keep in mind that it sounds informal.
  • As you most probably know, if a boyfriend or girlfriend stands you up , they fail to keep an arrangement to meet you: We were to have had dinner together yesterday evening, but he stood me up .
  • <active> He was in a foul mood because he had been stood up .
  • <passive> Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff
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1 Answers
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Greetings, Debpriya De,

there is nothing wrong about using this phrasal verb in active voice, but you should keep in mind that it sounds informal. As you most probably know, if a boyfriend or girlfriend stands you up, they fail to keep an arrangement to meet you:

We were to have had dinner together yesterday evening, but
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