with the radio turned on.

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keannu

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Can this "turned on" be called "passive state(an action given)" or "completed state" or both?

gz175) He fell asleep with the radio turned on.
 

Barb_D

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Honestly, does it make a difference to your understanding of it? The radio's state was "on."

How do you feel about "I left the house with the door unlocked"?
 

keannu

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Some people asked me if "He fell asleep with the radio turning on.", where "turning on" seems to denote "progressive state". Is it possible? That's why I asked what "turned on" denotes.
 

Barb_D

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No. Turning a radio on is an instantaneous act. There is no process of "turning it on" (and we'll avoid referencing the sexual aspect of getting turned on). You press the button, and it's on. You press the button again and it's off. There is no progressive aspect to turning on a radio.

Now, let's say it's a complicated piece of machinery that requires 10 steps, some of which take some time to complete before you move on to the next. Then you could say "Yes, I'm in the process of turning on the thingamajig." But once it's on, it's on. .
 
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