To be printed or to print

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I need help to understand this, please:I wrote the phrase "(...) so that your documents will be printed fast", but it was changed to "(...) so that your documents will print fast".Is it right? Maybe it's a foreign mindset thing, but for me, a printer can be the subject of the verb to print, not a document... or not?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Claudia77I wrote the phrase "(...) so that your documents will be printed fast", but it was changed to "(...) so that your documents will print fast".

I don't see any reason to change it. Since about 1980 both versions have been in use. Nowadays both versions are used about equally.

Claudia77Maybe it's a foreign mindset thing, but for me, a printer can be the subject of the verb to print, not a document... or not?

True, but some verbs in English are ergative verbs. These allow a construction where the object of an active sentence can become the subject of another active sentence with the same verb form, not with a passive form — although the passive form is also available. (Only the passive form can take a by-phrase of agent, optionally.)

'break' is an example of such a verb.

The mayor broke the vase.
The vase broke. (~~by the mayor~~)
The vase was broken (by the mayor).

The verb 'print' in the same configuration:

The manager printed the document.
The document printed. (~~by the manager~~)
The document was printed (by the manager).

In some other languages, not necessarily yours, this ergative form is expressed with a reflexive construction of some kind. (The vase broke itself. The document printed itself.) We don't use a reflexive construction to express that idea in English.

CJ

To be printed or to print

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