passive voice vs. are + adjective with (ed)

[lycen]

Hi, I need help on this.

A selection took place some time ago for an exchange program.

They are giving a presentation to those students who are selected("selected" as an adjective) for the exchange program.

They are giving a presentation to those students who were selected (passive voice) for the exchange program.

Which one is the correct one? Thank you.

[Kondorosi]

They are giving a presentation to those students who are selected("selected" as an adjective) for the exchange program.

They are giving a presentation to those students who were selected (passive voice) for the exchange program.

K.

[Barb_D]

Hi, I need help on this.

A selection took place some time ago for an exchange program.

They are giving a presentation to those students who are selected("selected" as an adjective) for the exchange program.

They are giving a presentation to those students who were selected (passive voice) for the exchange program.

Which one is the correct one? Thank you.

I don't hear this the same way as Kondorosi.

They are giving a presentation to the students selected for the program. -- I would change "those" to "the" and delete the "who."

This is the same as "Give this to the man wearing the green hat." Which man? The man wearing the green hat. Which student? The students selected for the program.


The are giving a presentation to the students who were selected... -- passive, as you indicated.

[lycen]

I don't hear this the same way as Kondorosi.

They are giving a presentation to the students selected for the program. -- I would change "those" to "the" and delete the "who."

This is the same as "Give this to the man wearing the green hat." Which man? The man wearing the green hat. Which student? The students selected for the program. (What would this be? Is it an adjective or a verb? It's definitely an abbreviated version of either "were selected" or "are selected")


The are giving a presentation to the students who were selected... -- passive, as you indicated.

Who are they? They are the students who are selected. (adjectival, it's just like saying "...students who are lazy")
Who are they? They are the students who were selected. (verbal; passive)

[bhaisahab]

"Were selected" or "have been selected" not "are selected".

[lycen]

"Were selected" or "have been selected" not "are selected".

Someone in another forum told me:

Interesting question, lycen.

I think I would normally read to be + selected as passive rather than as copula plus adjective. So my brain would want to process your first sentence as meaning something like "... are regularly selected".

Perhaps it is more reasonable to say that "selected"
in the sentence ""They are the selected ones" is an adjective rather than "They are selected".

More on adjectival "selected"
In a computer game:

A: What are you doing?
B: I'm selecting the characters to play as.
A: Selecting? Aren't these characters (already) selected?
B: Oh, yes they are selected! I'm so blur.

Similarly on adjectival "well-fed":

A: What are they doing?
B: They're feeding the hamsters.
A: Feeding? Aren't these hamsters well-fed?
B: Yes they are well-fed but it seems that they are still hungry.

[Barb_D]

But the selection was in the past. It doesn't work as well as a "state."

I completely agree with bhai. Were selected, have been selected

If they "are selected" it doesn't describe their state.

[lycen]

But the selection was in the past. It doesn't work as well as a "state."

I completely agree with bhai. Were selected, have been selected

If they "are selected" it doesn't describe their state.

Well then, what would you say about this:

Adjectival "highlighted":
These words are highlighted. (they appears highlighted; still in a highlighted state)

Verbal:
These words were highlighted.
These words have been highlighted.

I know the last 2 are correct. The discussion is solely on the first one. Could I have more people expressing their views?

[Kondorosi]

They are giving a presentation to those students who (be) selected for the program.

(The) Students who (be) chosen for the course are given a presentation.

Before I answered your question first, I did not think about the grammatical background; I was just playing it by ear.

The prepositional purpose clause , where purpose means the reason for the selection to be done, tips the balance in favor of a possible passive reading, if you ask me. With passive sentences, there is a doer of the action. The time of doing is made explicit by the choice of verb form (past tense):

They are giving a presentation to students who were selected for the program.

They are giving a presentation to students whoare selected for the program.

Here, I cannot account for the choice of verb form.

However,

Six directors are selected for the Cannes Film Festival bi-annual Residence program | News | Screen

Two Finalists Are Selected for the Void at Ground Zero - The New York Times

[lycen]

They are giving a presentation to those students who (be) selected for the program.

(The) Students who (be) chosen for the course are given a presentation.

Before I answered your question first, I did not think about the grammatical background; I was just playing it by ear.

The prepositional purpose clause , where purpose means the reason for the selection to be done, tips the balance in favor of a possible passive reading, if you ask me. With passive sentences, there is a doer of the action. The time of doing is made explicit by the choice of verb form (past tense):



Here, I cannot account for the choice of verb form.

However,

Six directors are selected for the Cannes Film Festival bi-annual Residence program | News | Screen

Two Finalists Are Selected for the Void at Ground Zero - The New York Times

That's because news articles always use present tense for headlines. Eg. Man kills wife and commits suicide

In your case, the present passive is used.