Verb tense for "We will be closed".

Question

For the sentense "We will be closed" can somebody explain what kind of tense it is in. If I'm referring to something in the future to say that the store is be closed tomorrow, why does the word "close" need to be in the past tense? I kind of understand the logic behind it, but I need some clarification from you grammar experts out there.

Yankee · Accepted Answer

Welcome to the site, Curioustim.

The word "closed" is an adjective in your sentence. The main verb in your sentence is "be".
In other words, "closed" describes a state, and it means "not open for business".

Is that enough explanation, or do you need more?

Avangi · Answer

curioustim why does the word "close" need to be in the past tense?

Hi curioustim. Thanks for joining us. Welcome to English Forums!

I'm not an expert. The site has many threads on this subject. You can do a search in the box at the upper right.

You can look at this as passive voice. Even in the present tense, the passive voice makes use of the past participle form of the main verb.
I am arrested.
I was arrested.
I will be arrested.
I have been arrested.
I had been arrested.
I will have been arrested. Etc.
You can see the past participle has the same form as the simple past. I arrest him. (pres.) I arrested him. (past)

You can also look at it as the verb "to be" with an adjective complement I am weary. You can use that famous past participle as an adjective. I am tired. I was tired.

With a verb like "to arrest," it's sometimes impossible to say whether a tense is used in passive voice, or simply "to be" plus "past participle."

The verb "to close" really gets interesting, but I'd suggest you do a search, as I said. (You might just try searching for the sentence as you wrote it.)

"To close" is a transitive verb, so when you use it in the passive, something is going to happen. In simple future, "We will be closed" in passive voice would mean, for example, "The police are going to come tonight and close us down." That's an action!

The verb "to be" on the other hand, describes a situation or condition, etc. What will our situation or condition be later on tonight?? We will be closed. We're not really describing an action. We will be out or beer. (It's a condition.)

Best wishes, - A.

Curioustim · Answer

Thank You Avangi and Yankee for putting this little confusion into perspective for me. I finally understand why the the word "closed" is used instead of "close".

Verb_aTIM · Answer

Hi guys.

The word "close" needs to be in past participle just because it's a verb, not an adjective. At least in this context.

I certainly agree that the statement "We will be closed" is an expression in the Passive Voice, Future Tense, Simple Form, Indicative Mood.
And just because of this, the Subject of the sentence becomes the Object of the transitive Action of the verb.

So, although the verb "close" well may be an Intransitive Verb, the mere fact that it is a Passive Voice converts it in a Transitive Verb. Automatically!

The verb "close" needs to be in past participle form, just because in the future the Object "we, the business" will change its condition from open to closed.

And we all know for certain that businesses don't open nor close, but they are being opened or closed for somebody else. Fact that converts them in Objects, and not Subjects.

TIM.

Avangi · Answer

Hi Tim,
You don't seem to acknowledge the second option in which the past participle functions not as an element used in forming the verb tense to be used in the passive voice (transitive), but rather as an adjective, complementing the verb "to be." In this case, whether the verbal action is transitive or intransitive becomes irrelevant.

"To close" can be transitive or intransitive. I closed my mouth. (tr,) Her mouth closed. (intr.) Even though you reason that she must have willfully done it, it's still intransitive.
"Why is the door locked?" (reply) "I think the store closed early tonight." This is active voice, intransitive, simple past. It doesn't imply transitive reflexive - "The store closed itself."

"It's now six o'clock. The store was closed at five o'clock." This could be passive voice. "The store was closed by person or persons unnamed at five o'clock."
It could also be an example of the verb "to be" plus an adjective complement, describing the condition of the store at five o'clock.
"I drove past the store at quarter past five. The store was closed." Contextually, this is almost certainly an example of "to be" + adj. comp. (describes a condition)
"I drove past the store at quarter past five, and the store was being closed." This version can only be passive voice.
"When I drove by, the store had been closed." Technically, this could be interpreted either way, IMHO. However, in terms of context and common sense, it's probably passive.

Best regards, - A.

- A.

Anonymous · Answer

it confuses me sometimes...i have written a working hours....example(saturday-thursday 10:a.m to 8:00 p.m) friday-close or shall i write it down as closed. tnx

a.

Yankee · Answer

Hi Anon

You mentioned "working hours". If you want to say that you personally work from Saturday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and that you don't work on Friday, then you should say that you are off on Fridays or that Friday is your day off.

If you want to state the days and hours that a business is open (on a sign or in an advertisement, for example), then you can write something like this:

Open Saturday - Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closed on Friday

Anonymous · Answer

Why is open in the present tense and closed in the past tense in the following sentence?

On Saturday the store will be open but on Sunday the store will be closed.

Clive · Answer

Why is open in the present tense and closed in the past tense in the following sentence?

On Saturday the store will be open but on Sunday the store will be closed.

'Open' and 'closed' here are used as adjectives.

Other examples -

eg an open window / a closed widow
'eg an open store / a closed store

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Very good question on the end of the page. Please reply why Sunday store will be closed/Why not Sunday will be close?

Verb tense for "We will be closed".

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