Answer 22

[유진승]

I.

u    Annie Whittle makes a momentous return to the small screens as Shortland Street's leading lady... (Google)

u    This is Kim Min Jong’s return to the small screens in two years since SBS “Soo Ho Chun Sah (Guardian Angel)” (soompi.com).

u    Johnny Whitaker returned to the small screens in our living rooms in the fall of 1973 in Sigmund And The Sea Monsters starring and singing as Johnny Stuart (johnnywhitaker.com).

II.

1.      The doors open and close automatically (Oxford). 열리고 닫힌다

Error: are opened and closed

Although the Korean translation is in the passive, the English original is in the active. So this was a trick, but everyone made it through! This example shows that Korean and English express the same situation differently.

Here, the focus is how the doors work, and there is nobody opening and closing the doors. So English makes the doors the subject of action and expresses this in the active voice, while Korean refuses to accept the doors as the subject and uses a passive form (열리고 닫힌다). Saying are opened and closed would mean that someone keeps opening and closing the doors, and this would contradict “automatically”.

This is connected to the fact that English loves thing subjects (사물주어) while Korean doesn’t: This will cover up my defects. à 이렇게 하면 내 결점이 가려질 것이다. (Answer 2/ Note 1.2)

2.      He told Armstrong not to bother him when his door was closed (BE).

Error: closed

Here, the issue is the state vs. action. The sentence is saying that Armstrong was told not to bother him when the door was in the closed state, rather than at the moment of its closing. Also, the passive voice brings attention to the one who closes the door(human agent) and thus emphasizes the fact that the door is closed intentionally.

3.      The road was closed to traffic for two days. 

Alternative 1: will be closed, is closed

Alternative 2: will close, closed, closes

Be closed to is a fixed phrase, although close to is sometimes (much less often) used. The passives are better because the road was in the closed state; however, it is also possible to say that the road takes the action of closing for two days, which justifies Alternative 2.

4.      What time does the bank close? 

Error: is ... closed à We are specifically talking about the time when the closing action takes place, and the bank is construed as an active agent.

5.      We close for lunch between twelve and two.

Alternative: are closed à As in 3, close emphasizes the action, and are closed the state.

6.      Sorry! We are closed. Please call again (BE).  

Error: close à We are already in the closed state. No talk of action.

7.  This suitcase doesn't lock (Oxford). 잠궈지지가 않는다

Error: isn’t locked à Saying isn’t locked would mean that the suitcase is open (not in the locked state).

8.      The door was locked and we stood out in the hallway chanting, `No peace, no justice." (BE)

Error: locked à The door was in the locked state. Also, somebody locked the door intentionally to keep the people off. This again brings attention to the human agent and necessitates the passive form.

9.      You must call security and have them come to the lab and lock the door. You may NOT leave before the door is locked (csbsju.edu).

Error: locks

The human agent is in focus here: the door is locked by the security, but saying locks would imply that the door locks by itself (automatically). Here, is locked can be understood as expressing a state (leave only after the door is in the locked state) or action (leave only after the door gets locked).

10.   The magazine sells 300 000 copies a week.

Error: is sold à The sentence focuses how the magazine sells; this is what the buyers do, and so there is no attention to the human agent (seller).

11.  It’s selling like a hotcake here! (spug.net) 날개 돋친 듯이 팔리고 있당~

Error: being sold like a hotcake à Again, the focus is on the book—that it is selling very well, and no attention to the seller.

12.   The 85-acre plot is being sold for Pounds 50,000.

Alternative: selling

In the original sentence, mentioning the price brings the attention to the seller, who set the price. But it is also possible to focus on the plot and construe selling for Pounds 50,000 as an action of the plot, and say selling.

13.   Marriot Stables, probably the largest yard for sale in the town at the moment, is being sold in behalf of Robert Williams (Bank of English).

Error: selling

As in 12, “in behalf of Robert Williams” brings attention to the seller, who acts as Robert Williams’ representative; hence, the passive. Unlike 12, however, it is odd to think of the selling as an action of the Marriot Stables--a property does not act as somebody’s representative. Hence, selling cannot be used.

In studying this material, you don't have to systemitize (체계적으로 정리) the state vs. action and attention to the object vs. the human agent. Instead, focus on each sentence and try to get the feel of the active and passive. And repeat these feelings many times.

[Andy the Undaunted]

I've just caught up with BTE exercises. Thank you for your effort. Today I learned very important concept, the state vs. action. which couldn't learn.

[jeahee]

hey, i've been making too many mistakes . sorry ^^