"Middle voice" is a term sometimes used when a usually transitive verb ('He is boiling eggs') is used intransitively with its Patient ('eggs') as Subject but still in the active voice ('Eggs are boiling'). Although English has no true middle voice, the 'middle' term is sometimes used by analogy to other languages; middle voices are so called because they lie between active and passive. See also 'ergative verb', 'labile verb'.
Questions tagged [middle-voice]
25 questions
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Can you say "the dessert eats well"?
I heard that a food critic (who is British male) made a comment on a dish like this:
It looks very pretty, but it doesn't eat very well.
The expression amazed me as I never knew food can be a subject of verb eat. I couldn't find such a usage in…
naoski
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Why am I punished for the thing that I did not do intentionally? He broke my arm Vs. I broke my arm
Read this sentence from the New York Times:
*Alberto Contador of Spain, a two-time winner of the Tour de France, quit the race Monday after breaking his leg in a fall during the 10th stage.*
It's beyond doubt that Alberto was quite serious for…
Maulik V
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the beer pours a hazy yellow color
The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a huge white head.
Is this sentence OK in terms of using the verb "pour". I regularly find this phrase in beer reviews. Can the beer really pour something? I would understand the sentence: After pouring into…
bart-leby
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"The English language has changed over time" OR "The English language has been changed over time"
Are this two sentences the same?
The English language has changed over time.
The English language has been changed over time.
Also, which one is correct?
How the English language has been changed over time?
How has the English language…
hfj
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3
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2 answers
Active vs passive voice with inanimate object as the subject
This question was inspired by this question asked previously.
I have seen some sentences like the following -
The film was announced to be released on this coming Friday.
The film was announced to release on this coming Friday.
Both the…
Man_From_India
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Recognizing Middle verbs
Well, it's not going to talk about Middle English, but middle verbs.
There are some verbs, such as, read, slice and break that just like ergative verbs, affect their subjects making confusions whether they are used correctly or not.
We, simply, can…
Abbasi
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Passive Extraposition
It seems that for verbs that allow the following sentence structure:
a-type: "He [verb in past particle] that supplies were running low."
passive extraposition is possible, leading to:
b-type: "It was [verb in past particle] that supplies…
meatie
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is now conform or is now conformed
May I know Which one is grammatical?
The implementation after repairing is now conform to the
specification.
The implementation after repairing is now conformed to
the specification.
Note to myself: Second one is correct (by StoneyB)
william007
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The usage of a construction like “But factoring into his decision must've been…”
But factoring into Shaun White's decision must've been how much he has to risk.
I guess the sentence wants to express such a meaning: Shaun White must've factored how much he has to risk into his decision. Right? But I feel the original sentence…
Searene
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