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Cunning linguists

Active or passive voice?

7 replies

Inertia · 21/03/2015 15:40

I am having a confused moment and tying myself in knots!

Is this sentence in the active or passive voice?

Claire was terrified.

On one hand, it's describing something Claire did , which was to be terrified.

On the other hand, it suggests that she was terrified by something.

OP posts:
Thistledew · 21/03/2015 15:49

I don't think it is either as there is only a Subject of the sentence (Claire) and no Object.

An illustration of passive/active voice would be:

Claire was terrified of the spider (active).

The spider terrified Claire (passive)

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 21/03/2015 15:52

Terrified in that short phrase is more of an adjective than a verb, and is describing Claire's state, so I'd say active.

PacificDogwood · 21/03/2015 15:53

Active.

As explained by Thistledew.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 21/03/2015 15:56

Have a read of this:
www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/adjectiv/particip.htm

If the phrase was extended to "Claire was terrified by the enormous spider in the corner" then "terrified" would be verbal, not adjectival, and it would be passive voice

Inertia · 21/03/2015 16:06

Thanks all. Yes, it makes sense to think of terrified as an adjective in that case.

OP posts:
DrankSangriaInThePark · 26/03/2015 13:29

The spider terrified Claire isn't passive!

PacificDogwood · 26/03/2015 17:38

Active for the spider, passive for Claire IMO.

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