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What is imperative in passive?



 
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What is imperative in passive? #1 (permalink) Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:02 am   What is imperative in passive?
 

What is imperative in passive?

Can ”open your book” to change from active voice to passive voice?

Thanks
Steve88
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What is imperative in passive? #2 (permalink) Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:12 am   What is imperative in passive?
 

Hi Steve,

This is realistically not possible, I would say because the imperative is essentially asking for something to be done. The passive however describes what has been done or what is going to be done.

Alan
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What is imperative in passive? #3 (permalink) Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:59 am   What is imperative in passive?
 

The passive imperative is quite rare, as it contains an apparent contradiction: we are commanding someone or something to be the patient in an action, e.g.

1. Be broken by the next person to pick you up.

— a malicious magician to a Ming vase.

"Get" + participle can form a kind of passive imperative:

2. Go and get checked out by your doctor.

These can be transformed thus:

3. The next person will break the vase / The vase will be broken by the next person.
4. His doctor will check him out / He will be checked out by his doctor.

Best wishes,

MrP
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What is imperative in passive? #4 (permalink) Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:14 pm   What is imperative in passive?
 

Hi,

Thanks for that. You have reminded me of that popular expression used when you want someone to go away: Get lost! And then of course there are the really vulgar ones that are best left in obscurity as far as this site is concerned.

Alan
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What is imperative in passive? #5 (permalink) Fri Aug 22, 2008 17:11 pm   What is imperative in passive?
 

Hello Alan,

I wondered about "get lost", but was not sure whether it was a passive construction (it sounds awkward if we add an agent, for instance).

Best wishes,

MrP
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