simple query( very urgent)

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Sumithsoman  #275050  Sun, 01 Oct 06 10:22 PM
Is the following sentence correct
'My work has not been started yet'
or whether the follwoing one is correct
'My work has not started yet' .
It would be great if u could provide reasons

regards
sumith
  
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chry
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Grammar Geek  #275081  Sun, 01 Oct 06 11:45 PM

They are both odd. I don't understand your use of the passive.

If you have been given work to do, but you have not started yet, then "I haven't started my work yet."

If you have a job/employment, but the date you start working there is still in the future, then "My job hasn't started yet."

  
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Prsad  #275918  Wed, 04 Oct 06 07:49 AM

Sumith,

The sentance 'My work has not been started yet' is completely correct.

Well, 'I have'nt started my work' will do.

If you need to give more importance to 'my work' in the sentance, you can use passive voice and in that perspective, the first sentance holds the meaning.

Regards,

Prasad


 

  
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Grammar Geek  #276257  Thu, 05 Oct 06 03:19 AM

In my opinion, if you write in the passive, it will sound marked.

You use the passive when you don't know who did it (or didn't do it), you don't want to specify who that person was, or you want to emphasize the recipient of the action.

If it's "your work," then it's clear that you are the person who has done it (or is supposed to do it). That leaves only the third reason - to emphasize the work, instead of you. So I suppose, if you were in a situation in which you were talking about "John's work" and then "Mary's work" and then your own work, you might want to do this: John's work is well underway, Mary's work is just starting, and my work has not been started yet. But this is a very unusual choice and would require specific circumstances.

But if your supervisor is walking by and says "How's your work coming along today?" if you responded with this passive construction, it would not be natural.

  
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