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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

was begun

I'd like to have your opinion of the sentence "The Great Wall of China was begun in 214 BC." It is in the book New Interchange. "Begin" is an intransitive verb, why is it used in a passive construction? I have learnt from school that only transitive verbs can be used in passive constructions. If "begin" can be used in a passive construction, what is the meaning of the sentence? The construction of the Great Wall began in 214 BC?, or the construction of the Great Wall was completed in 214 BC and it was put to use in 214? Thank you very much.
  

Top answer

Depending on how the verb is being used, "begin" can be instransitive OR transitive. Does that help you to understand the passive voice? Here the verb is transitive: The Chinese began the wall in 214 BC.

— Ikia

  • Depending on how the verb is being used, "begin" can be instransitive OR transitive.
  • Does that help you to understand the passive voice?
  • Here the verb is transitive: The Chinese began the wall in 214 BC.
  • Ikia
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4 Answers
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Depending on how the verb is being used, "begin" can be instransitive OR transitive. Does that help you to understand the passive voice?

Here the verb is transitive: The Chinese began the wall in 214 BC.

Ikia
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The Great Wall of China was begun in 214 BC". You can use "begin" this way when you talk about the origin or start of things such as works, practices, institutions that last through time. The meaning is "give origin to", "bring into existence", "create", etc. The time X in "was begun in X" commonly means the start time of the creation". The construction of the Great Wall was started in 214 BC but
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Thank you both. I have a further question. If in the sentence "The house was built in 2002", does "build" mean the whole action of constructing the house? Does 2002 mean the finishing year, irrespective of the length of construction, wether the construction lasted for three years or it was completed within 2002? Thank you.
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"built" refers to the whole action of constructing the house.

You can also say the following sorts of things:
"The house was built in 2001-2004"
"The house was built in the first three years of the the 1990's"
"Construction began in 1999 and lasted two years, and the house was finished in 2001"

CJ
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