Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lina Hello
When I'd like to ask about the agent of passive voice, can I use both sentences? Or is "By whom" not used in daily life?
For example:
1) By whom was the cake eaten?
2 Who was the cake eaten by?
Thank you. :) |
I agree with X Mode. :D
The function of the passive is to take focus off the agent, the doer of the action, and emphasize the object. Though, in our example sentence the agent is emphasized:
Passive:
Whom was the cake eaten by? (Agent)
Passive:
Who was the cake eaten by? (Agent)
There's no need to use the passive to emphasize the agent. Active works best, as X Mode suggests:
Active:
Who ate the cake?
By the way, 'by' is a preposition so its object should be 'whom', but some speakers will use 'who':
Passive: The cake was eaten by
whom?
Passive: The cake was eaten by
who?
All the best, :D