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Latest post Sat, Jul 26 2008 4:23 PM by CalifJim. 3 replies.
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Evo25  +  546555 Sat, 26 Jul 08 07:31 AM
The  event is targeted at a young,urban sophisticated group who understands the brand.(sentence taken from newspaper)
the word targeted in above sentence is appeared as past participle or adjective?
if the targeted consider as past participle, the sentence above can be said  that become a passive sentence?
i'm sure when ver to be + a past participle word, the word will change a sentence become a passive sentence!(i learn from grammar book)
such as
1.I eat the apple.
  The apple was eaten by me.
   I understand these sentences above.
But,how about in these cases.
 (1)it is hoped that the things which i learn are correct
 (2)it is meant that all students can go back home now.
how about the word hoped and meant?considered as past participle?
if both of the word considered as past participle, the sentence is a  passive sentence??
that quite confuse me.
please guide me to identify the differences!
thanks and appreciate a lot..!!
Joined on Sat, Jul 12 2008
Junior Member 61
CalifJim  +  546562 Sat, 26 Jul 08 08:06 AM
Evo25
Is the word targeted in above the sentence above is appeared as a past participle or adjective?”
It's the past participle of the verb target.  Note that a word can be both a past participle and an adjective, however, so it has some adjectival qualities.

Evo25
“become a passive sentence?”
Yes, it has many qualities of passive voice, but I would not call it a true passive.  Past participles can occur even when the sentence is not in the passive voice.  This is really more like a semi-passive.

Evo25
“(1)it It is hoped that the things which i I learn are correct
 (2)it is meant that all students can go back home now.”
The second sentence is incorrect.  It is meant that is not English.  hoped and meant are past participles.  These are passive sentences.

The general rule is that if a past participle is adjectival, then you do not have a case of passive voice; if the past participle is not adjectival, then you probably have a case of passive voice.  The topic of past participles and passive voice is very confusing because there are so many borderline cases that are difficult to decide.

If the participle makes sense with the word "very" in front of it, then it's probably an adjective, and this is not passive voice.  Example:

I am interested in card games.  interested is a past participle.  But it's an adjective as well, because you can say very interested in card games. This is not an example of passive voice.

Above, note that you can't say It is very hoped that ... It is hoped is passive.

See Re: adjective or part of a passive for further details.  There are five categories:  true passives with agent, true passives without agent, pseudo-passives, semi-passives, and statal passives.

CJ 

 

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004
California
Veteran Member 22,389
"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche
Evo25  +  546645 Sat, 26 Jul 08 02:25 PM
Thanks for the further explations provided at the link website send to me.
I alomost understand all the passive voice...
just a part i still not understand clearly..

The work is finished.
  (use after a linking verb)
linking verb is such as because,however,etc...
I also go surfing at this website
http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/linkwd.html
is should be considered as verb to be,not linking verb.
so as you mentioned above (should use after a linking verb) ..the sentence above seems does not has linking verb..
it make me confused. (The work is finished)which word is linking verb?
thanks guide me further.
CalifJim  +  546690 Sat, 26 Jul 08 04:23 PM
 Some linking verbs are:

to be (is, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been), to seem, to feel, to become, to appear, to look.

In The work is finished, is is the linking verb.  In fact, it's the only verb in the sentence.

CJ 

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