Three participles appearing in the same form.

[notmyname216]

Casiopea, based on your explaination I now have more questions.

This is what I think I understand:

So any sentence that has a Simple tense of the "be" verb used as an auxilary verb and the word following that verb can either be an adjective or a verb?

Examples:

(Stolen can be either a verb or an adjective in each of these sentences).


(animate subject + be +stolen)
I was stolen.
You were stolen.
It was stolen.
We were stolen.
I am stolen.
You are stolen.
It is stolen.
We are stolen.
I will be stolen.
you will be stolen.
It will be stolen.
We will be stolen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is that also true for the Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of ""be"?

Is it also true for the Simple, Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of "do"?

Is it also true for the Simple, Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of "have"?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by notmyname216

So any sentence that has a Simple tense of the "be" verb used as an auxilary verb and the word following that verb can either be an adjective or a verb?

No. Again, "meaning plays a major role". For instance,

EX: They are determined to win the race.

"are determined" looks like a passive verb form but it's not. "determined" functions as an adjective; the alternative reading, *"Someone determined them to win the race" doesn't make sense. That is, there isn't a passive reading for that sense of "determined", so "are dertermined" is interpreted as BE + adjective.

Furthermore, things are "stolen", people are kidnapped:

?I was stolen.
I was kidnapped. (passive; someone kidnapped me)
I am kidnapped. (state of being; adjective; also near synonymous with "have been kidnapped")

Is that also true for the Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of "be"? Is it also true for the Simple, Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of "do"? Is it also true for the Simple, Pefect, Progressive and Progressive Perfect tenses of "have"?

Could you provide a few examples? That in itself might help you with the answers you're looking for.

[notmyname216]

Casiopea, I checked Webster's dictionary for the word "determined". It didn't have any listing where determined was an adjective. It only had it listed as a verb. So how does one know when the word is an adjective when it is not even listed in the dictionary with that usage?

Originally Posted by notmyname216

Casiopea, I checked Webster's dictionary for the word "determined". It didn't have any listing where determined was an adjective. It only had it listed as a verb. So how does one know when the word is an adjective when it is not even listed in the dictionary with that usage?

I think you need to check other dictionaries.

determined

SYLLABICATION: de·ter·mined
PRONUNCIATION: d-tûrmnd
ADJECTIVE: 1. Marked by or showing determination; resolute: was engaged in a protracted struggle with a determined enemy. 2. Decided or resolved.
OTHER FORMS: de·termined·ly —ADVERB
de·termined·ness —NOUN

Try this website:

http://www.onelook.com/?w=determined&ls=a

[Casiopea]

I can't speak for your dictionary, sorry. My Oxford lists "determined" as an adjective.