By Passive sentences, Difference between

It's not diferent, but you don't seem to know to see where the subject is in passive sentences: The exam: this is the singular subject, thus in passive form you should use was failed The brakes: this is plural subject, thus in passive form you should use were slammed

Rotter wrote:1.Pasta is eaten daily by Italians. (As a present-day habit.)2.Italians eat pasta. What is the difference between the two sentences? I guess the first sentence is a passive sentence and the second one is an active sentence. I maybe wrong. Please tell me. They have basically the...

1.Pasta is eaten daily by Italians. (As a present-day habit.) 2.Italians eat pasta. What is the difference between the two sentences? I guess the first sentence is a passive sentence and the second one is an active sentence. I maybe wrong. Please tell me.

Hello guysThank you for the replies. All of them are very helpful to me in thinking the problem. I think I had better explain the question more in detail.Actually the questioner asked at first the semantic difference between "He made her sing" and "He told her to sing". So, at first I explained...

Hello, Lupa You are right about the first two pairs of sentences. Sentences "b" in both pairs have ergative verbs. You posted that "dinner is cooking" is a passive sentence. The sentence has passive meaning (because dinner cannot be cooking itself) but it is not a passive construction. The...