Passive Verbs

Can someone please help me? I am trying to understand passive verbs. In writing my essays, the instructor specifies to write in present tense. My papers are producing large scale F's. Out of four hundred words, I used three descriptive verbs: feels abusued, appears worried, and appears delighted. Are these in passive form? I thought that worried, abused, and delighted were adjetives to describe the noun. I placed action verbs in front in present tense. Am I doing something wrong.
Here is a sample sentence:
While descending the catacombs, Montresor appears worried about his friend's cough. Is this sentence in passive or present active?
Thank you.

[riverkid]

Originally Posted by joevasquez8252

Can someone please help me? I am trying to understand passive verbs. In writing my essays, the instructor specifies to write in present tense. My papers are producing large scale F's. Out of four hundred words, I used three descriptive verbs: feels abusued, appears worried, and appears delighted. Are these in passive form? I thought that worried, abused, and delighted were adjetives to describe the noun. I placed action verbs in front in present tense. Am I doing something wrong.
Here is a sample sentence:
While descending the catacombs, Montresor appears worried about his friend's cough. Is this sentence in passive or present active?
Thank you.

I think, Joe, that you should ask your teacher what the actual problem is, instead of just trying to guess. When we're all more certain of just what the problem is, we can better discuss it.

[Humble]

Hi, Joe,
The sentence is in the Active, because the subject, Montresor, performs an action, appears. Well, perhaps it's a simplistic explanation, appears is a linking verb, I think.
Indeed, worried is an attribute ( I am not sure I can call it an adjective, though it behaves like one) and as it is in fact a Past Participle it carries a passive concept.

Regards

[Harry Smith]

Originally Posted by joevasquez8252

Can someone please help me? I am trying to understand passive verbs. In writing my essays, the instructor specifies to write in present tense. My papers are producing large scale F's. Out of four hundred words, I used three descriptive verbs: feels abusued, appears worried, and appears delighted. Are these in passive form? I thought that worried, abused, and delighted were adjetives to describe the noun. I placed action verbs in front in present tense. Am I doing something wrong.
Here is a sample sentence:
While descending the catacombs, Montresor appears worried about his friend's cough. Is this sentence in passive or present active?
Thank you.

This sentence has a passive meaning. Consequently it is in Pasive.

[joevasquez8252]

Thank you for responding. My instructor refuses to comment on verbs. He has taken the stance that since this is a 1302 English class, therefore, we should all contain knowledge of verb usage. I, on the other hand, have been out of the classroom setting for some time (years) and purchased grammar books to assist with these delimas. However, they are not specific in combining verbs (active and passive).

After reviewing looking up the word "Delighted" in the Encarta English dictionary, I have become even more confused. The dictionary states that it is an adjective. I intended to use "Delighted" for the word happy.
I understand that a linking verb is almost like an algebraic equation. For instance: (Montressor is delighted), we were not suppose to use is, or are's or has's or have etc.... So I substitued is with appears.
Montressor = delighted.

I plan on rebuttling my essay. With the information you have given me, I can see both points of view. Thank you so much.

[Humble]

Montresor appears... - Where do you see the Passive, Harry?

[Harry Smith]

Originally Posted by Humble

Montresor appears... - Where do you see the Passive, Harry?

Montresor appears worried = Montresor appears to be worried =Montresor is worried.

[Humble]

Is worried is not passive, just like is married, because there's no action.

[Harry Smith]

I just wamted to say that "to be +past participle" is the structure of the passive voice. The verb "to worry" can be used in passive structure too.
So we can say: He always worries about simple things.
We can also say: He always seems to be worried about simple things.(He is always worried about simple things.)
Humble, what I'm writing here isn't taken from M. Swan's or any other good grammar book. I'm writing my own grammar book which is a mixture of all good grammar books. I haven't published it yet.

[Humble]

Harry,
Do you insist it’s the Passive Voice? I am not too good at using all the grammar terms, but I think we should differ auxiliary verbs from linking verbs even though they have the same encarnation.
I met Pete and Lena in Rome. They were married. – were is a linking verb, married denotes a state, not an action, so it’s not the Passive Voice.
They were married hurriedly by the local priest. – were is an auxiliary verb, married denotes an action, so it is the Passive Voice.
If Participle II is used as an attribute it’s not the Passive voice, because you can change it for a synonymous adjective.
Doug seems tired/exhausted. = Dougs seems weak/weary.