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Re: Passive voice

From:Henrik Theiling <theiling@...>
Date:Sunday, May 21, 2006, 13:50
Hi!

Tristan Alexander McLeay <conlang@...> writes:
>.... > > He walks over the bridge - the bridge is walked over. > > > > He looked at me - I was being looked at. > > > > etc. > > > > Are there other languages which have this use of the passive voice? How do > > they form them - and what are the restrictions? > > More interestingly from an English perspective, how do languages that > *can't* use the passive like this say "The bridge is walked over"?
German can't, so it has to use different verb: Er geht über die Brücke he walks over the bridge Die Brücke wird überquert. The bridge is 'over-crossed'. :-P The other verb is often an applicative: Wir sprechen über das Buch. We talk about the book. Applicative: Wir besprechen das Buch. We talk_about the book. Das Buch wird besprochen. The book is talked_about. **Henrik