10 sentences (1)

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Jaskin

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Present Continuous Tense
Arnold is [STRIKE]being[/STRIKE] solving [STRIKE]out[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]the [/STRIKE][STRIKE]mathematics[/STRIKE] maths (or mathematical) problems.[STRIKE] So, [/STRIKE]when he can’t solve [STRIKE]out[/STRIKE] one of them, he frowns.
Passive Tense (Present Continuous Tense)
Maths problems are being solved by Arnold. There is a frown on his face when one of them can't be solved by him.
 

Atchan

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Hi
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Let me have a go.
The sentences are a bit awkward so I allow myself to do some corrections, I hope it will help.

The reason of my awkward making sentences' style is because I depend on Arabic language. So, when I'm going to write an English sentences I translate them from Arabic language. for example, making Arabic sentence start with Verb + Subject + Object. while English start with Subject + Verb + Object. So, that is why my sentences are awkward.
 

Jaskin

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hi,

What I meant by awkward sentences is that it is difficult to guess what your intended meaning was, regardless of the reason, and make appropriate corrections not to mention changing it into passive voice.

If you want to practice passive voice try go get some good English sentences in active voice, make it passive and post it here for correction.

Cheers
 

RonBee

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I think we should forget the "with".

Peter said he would complain to the police after a drunken man collided [STRIKE]with[/STRIKE] his car while he was driving to work.

We have already several versions of the sentence, and with should get removed there too.
(Not sure if Ron really wanted to add it; maybe it was just a small mistake.)

Cheers!
No, it wasn't a mistake. When we collide we collide with something. (You could say the drunken man hit Peter's car. You don't need with with hit.)
:)
 

RonBee

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Past Continuous Tense
Scientists were trying to invent an intelligent robot, after they invented a machine dog.
Passive Tense (Past Continuous Tense)
An intelligent robot was trying to invent by scientists, after they invented a machine dog.
Past Continuous Tense
Scientists were trying to invent an intelligent robot after they had invented a robot dog.

Past Continuous Tense
An attempt was being made by scientists to invent an intelligent robot after they had invented a robot dog.

:)
 

emsr2d2

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I've come to this a little late but can I chime in on the "collided with" debate.

A drunken man collided with his car = this means he was not driving, it suggests he was walking and he accidentally walked/ran/fell against his car.

A drunken man crashed his car = this suggests he was driving.

The car of a drunken man collided with another car = this also suggests he was driving and his car was driven into another car.

However, the fact remains that it's always "collided with", unless "collided" is the last word of the sentence:

Q - What happened to those two cars?
A - They collided.
 

bertietheblue

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I've come to this a little late but can I chime in on the "collided with" debate.

A drunken man collided with his car = this means he was not driving, it suggests he was walking and he accidentally walked/ran/fell against his car.

I don't think you can rule this out (especially where the full clause ends '... while he was driving', although, as I commented earlier, it is unclear who the 'he' pronoun is referring to). We often talk of the driver of a car (or other vehicle) doing something when actually their car does it. (Can a linguist help me out - is this a form of metonymy? I'm not so sure.)

"Some drunk crashed into the back of me on the Totnes road."
"I collided with a pony whilst driving up on the moors."
 

emsr2d2

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I don't think you can rule this out (especially where the full clause ends '... while he was driving', although, as I commented earlier, it is unclear who the 'he' pronoun is referring to). We often talk of the driver of a car (or other vehicle) doing something when actually their car does it. (Can a linguist help me out - is this a form of metonymy? I'm not so sure.)

"Some drunk crashed into the back of me on the Totnes road."
"I collided with a pony whilst driving up on the moors."

Ah, if there were more to the clause, I agree, but the standalone sentence "A drunk man collided with his car" doesn't inherently suggest he was driving!

I do agree that your first example "Some drunk crashed....." would suggest a car accident, although it would be quite amusing if it were two pedestrians!
 

bertietheblue

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Ah, if there were more to the clause, I agree, but the standalone sentence "A drunk man collided with his car" doesn't inherently suggest he was driving!

True but I didn't say it inherently suggests, only that you can't rule this out, which you did.

-What happened to his face?
-Ah, some drunk collided with his car. [I write 'drunk' because I wouldn't say 'drunken man' in this context; I also prefer 'crashed into'. But all that's another matter]
-Where?
-On the Totnes road.
 
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