[General] Election Commission told to be vigilant

Status
Not open for further replies.

dj_dipuu

Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Punjabi
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
I have read this sentence in Newspaper "Election Commission told to be vigilant". I know it is a passive tense, but shouldn't it be like this " Election Commission was told to be Vigilant". Because we use "WAS" for Past Indefinite passive tenses . Can anyone clarify me this ?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
It's natural and normal if it's a headline.
 

david11

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tamil
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
I have read this sentence in Newspaper "Election Commission told to be vigilant". I know it is a passive tense, but shouldn't it be like this " Election Commission was told to be Vigilant". Because we use "WAS" for Past Indefinite passive tenses . Can anyone clarify me this ?

It is to save the space.


for eg,

Raja arrested.


Manmohan singh honored.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
It is to save [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] space.


For [STRIKE]eg[/STRIKE] example, "Raja arrested".


Manmohan singh honored. (I have no idea what this means)

emsr2d2
 

david11

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tamil
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
Emsrs2d2 is honored by her students.


Emsrs2d2 honored.(By her students)
 

dj_dipuu

Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Punjabi
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
Thanks ! for ur help. But in format English it is incorrect. Right ?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Thanks [STRIKE]![/STRIKE] for your help. But in forma[STRIKE]t[/STRIKE]l English it is incorrect. Right ?
I'd say 'inappropriate' rather than 'incorrect'.
 

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Thanks ! for ur help. But in format English it is incorrect. Right ?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


I most respectfully suggest that the point to remember is:

"Election Commission told to be vigilant" is excellent English for

newspaper headlines.

But people would think that you were weird if you went around speaking

like that.

For example, "The teacher being ill, the students went home" is excellent for

elegant writing, but in speech we would say something like: "Because the

teacher was ill, the students went home."
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
And the headline would be "Teacher Ill, Students Left"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top