I lost my watch and my watch was lost

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kwfine

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Hong Kong
Dear teachers,

Is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences:

A1
My watch was lost.
B1
I lost my watch.

Thank you.
Kitty
 

shroob

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Dear teachers,

Is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences:

A1
My watch was lost. - Passive
B1
I lost my watch. - Active

Thank you.
Kitty

Not a teacher only a native.

In terms of grammar, A1 is a 'passive' sentence and B1 is an 'active' sentence.

There is a slight difference in meaning:
My watch was lost - we don't know who lost your watch. This sentence implies someone else lost your watch, it could have been you, but we don't know for sure. The passive voice is often used when we don't know who has done something.

I lost my watch - You lost your watch.

Like I said at the beginning, not a teacher only a native (who is only just discovering the complexities of the English language!)
 
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