1. lostinwebspace

    lostinwebspace Active Member

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    Is This Passive Voice?

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by lostinwebspace, Mar 21, 2013.

    Is that phrase in bold considered passive voice? You can break it to me. I can take it. :p
     
  2. madhoca

    madhoca Contributor Contributor

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    It is a past participle clause, representing passive voice (the man is having something done to him by the fishing tackle).
     
  3. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    sounds good, but what do i know?... i bow to your superior knowledge of grammatical nomenclature, sir mad! ;)
     
  4. madhoca

    madhoca Contributor Contributor

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    And up my other sleeve: present participle representing active voice "Holding the fishing tackle, the man walked down the path".
    If only all the fancy grammar would just come together in a true masterpiece...sigh...
     
  5. Nee

    Nee Member

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    Or..."Encumbered by his fishing tackle, the man stumbled down the path".
     
  6. madhoca

    madhoca Contributor Contributor

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    I think "stumble" is better than "sway" but I don't have the context. Maybe he was drunk or something, so "sway" is actually what he is doing. BTW, starting a sentence with either a past or a present participle is considered slightly old-fashioned at best, and rather "weak" writing at worst. You should try not to do it too often.
     
  7. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    How about 'staggered'?
     
  8. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    what a very odd sentence...

    and yes it's passive voice - when you have to use "by" it's always passive voice.

    An amusing "check" you can use is this: if you can add "by zombies" at the end of the sentence, then it's passive.

    So, for example, "Encumbered by zombies" :p
     
  9. Maxitoutwriter

    Maxitoutwriter Member

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    I haven't the slightest clue, but that's why I'm on this thread. :D
     
  10. doghouse

    doghouse New Member

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    Passive voice is grammatical, and relates to how a sentence is structured. Although, it mostly comes down to verbs.

    Note: there is nothing wrong with a passive sentence!

    Lets break down a sentence.

    We will have a subject: what the sentence is about (usually a person, place or thing), and the subject is usually doing something or being described -- and the subject is normally at the beginning of a sentence;

    The object: comes in after an action (can also be a person, place or thing) and is what the action is usually done on. Not all sentences will have an object, though;

    Verbs: need I say more? *grins* Normally an action, but can also describe a state of existence.

    Agency is also important, and describes sentence relation to the action. So, both the subject and the object can be an agent (doing the action), or the patient (receiving the action).

    Right, passive voice results when the object of the sentence is doing the action (or is the agent), and the subject is receiving it (or is the patient). To spot it simply examine the relationship between the subject, object, and verb of a sentence. If the object is the thing doing the verb, the sentence is passive. If the subject is the thing doing the verb, the sentence is active.

    It really is that simple.
     
  11. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    I wasn't even aware that you can have passive voice in a phrase. I thought you needed a complete sentence. Oh well - you learn something new every weekend.
     

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