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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > passive voice
passive voice
nathalie891
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passive voice
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Hi there! 4 of my pupils have started writing a short story in our English club and I �m not sure about one of the sentences they want to write. Would it sound natural to say "I was stolen my handbag" which is grammaticaly correct if I �m not mistaken? Could a native speaker give me his/her opinion? Thank you! Have a nice day in spite of the terrible news coming from London. Nathalie |
4 Jun 2017
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redcamarocruiser
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It was stolen, my handbag. OK
It was stolen (my handbag). OK
"I was stolen my handbag" Does not work.
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4 Jun 2017
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Pedro14
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I was robbed of my handbag. "Things" are stolen; "people" and "places" are robbed. I �m not a native speaker but this is what I teach my students because they always use "steal". Redcamarocruiser �s answers are also perfect. |
4 Jun 2017
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nathalie891
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So we can �t use "steal" with the same structure as "give" (I was given a handbag) ? Thank you for your answers |
4 Jun 2017
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redcamarocruiser
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You cannot use steal with the same structure as given. You must say as Pedro14 said,"I was robbed of my handbag" or "My handbag was stolen." |
4 Jun 2017
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yanogator
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Yes, "I was stolen" means that someone took you, not something of yours. "I was given a handbag" is the same as "A handbag was given to me", whereas "My handbag was stolen" is the same as "A handbag was stolen from me". That �s why the structure isn �t the same as with "given". Bruce |
4 Jun 2017
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nathalie891
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Thank you all for your answers, it all makes more sense now Nathalie |
4 Jun 2017
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crzaroni
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Why don �t you use. My handbag was stolen. I think it�s the easiest way to avoid mistakes. Passive voice. It�s not important who did the action but what happened.
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6 Jun 2017
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