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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE.
ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE.
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araveg
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ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE.
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Hi everybody! I have a doubt about this passive sentence. An exercise where you have to complete with active or passive voice. In this sentence , a passive one, you complete the sentence with a passive in past. "It was a surprise. I (telephone) WAS TELEPHONED by my friend who lives in Chine" The question is : could it be a passive voice in past perfect? "It was a surprise. I (telephone) HAD BEEN TELEPHONED by my friend who lives in Chine" Thanks in advance. |
17 Apr 2022
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niksailor
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Hi araveg, answering the question you�ve asked directly, I�d say that the past perfect form is theoretically possible. However, as I see it, the context where both of your sentences could be used is unclear. Bearing that in mind, I�d say both options are ok, but if our task is to choose between the past simple and the past perfect, not knowing the surrounding context, I�d opt for "It was a surprise. I WAS TELEPHONED ...". I guess there�s no need to emphasize any sort of precedence here, like the state in the first sentence and action in the latter belong to the same time stage or interval or whatever you call it. Yet, doesn�t the sentence sound unnatural? Why not use the active voice and say that �It was a surprise. My friend who lives in Chine TELEPHONED me�? I�ve always thought that overusing passive constructions not only makes the register more formal, but also complicates the formulation of the speaker�s thoughts.  What�s my dear colleagues� take on it?  |
18 Apr 2022
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araveg
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Thank you very very much. I agree absolutely with your explanation: " overusing passive constructions not only makes the register more formal, but also complicates the formulation of the speaker´s thoughts" |
18 Apr 2022
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Eman A
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i think it would be// was phoned |
10 Jul 2022
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