[Grammar] I prefer to meet you later.

[kite]

Dear teachers,
If I convert above sentence into passive as "You are prefered to meet you later", is it right? Or shoud it be "you prefer to be meet later"?

Thanks.

 

[5jj]

You cannot make a natural passive form of that sentence.

 

[Rover_KE]

Why do you even want to do so, kite?

 

[kite]

It is actually not my idea. One of my friends wanted to do it. However, I was a bit aware that every sentence cannot be converted into passive form. Is there any specific rule by which we can determine the posibility or impossibility of converting active to passive?

Thanks.

 

[5jj]

However, I was a bit aware that every sentence cannot be converted into passive form.

Not every sentence can be converted ...

Is there any specific rule by which we can determine the posibility or impossibility of converting active to passive?

It's pretty safe to say that if there is no direct object in a sentence, then a passive sentence cannot be constructed.

 

[kite]

Sorry to bother you again, 5jj. Direct objects do not answer the question "where", now I know that. But direct objects answer to what kind of questions? I want to know that. What I know about object is that which answer the questions "what and whom" are objects. Would you please clary the case to me?

Thanks.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Sorry to bother you again, 5jj. Direct objects do not answer the question "where", now I know that. But direct objects answer to what kind of questions? I want to know that. What I know about object is that which answer the questions "what and whom" are objects. Would you please clary the case to me?

Thanks.

I was taught to analyze modifiers by the questions they answer. The idea of using that for direct objects is foreign to me. Where did you learn that?

 

[Tdol]

It is actually not my idea. One of my friends wanted to do it. However, I was a bit aware that every sentence cannot be converted into passive form. Is there any specific rule by which we can determine the posibility or impossibility of converting active to passive?

The problem with conversion exercises is that they don't look at why we use the passive, which is the key thing. Taking perfectly good active sentences and generating slightly odd or unnatural passive sentences doesn't serve much purpose IMO. You can generate forced and unnatural sentences that are technically possible, but that doesn't strike me as a great rule to search for.

 

[kite]

Mike, that rule was taught to me by one of my English teachers. Till now I have been following that rule and no case I got. But according to your opinion, now I am a bit striked. Would you please tell me what the rule is you actually follow to notice direct objects?

Thanks.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Mike, that rule was taught to me by one of my English teachers. Till now I have been following that rule and no case I got. But according to your opinion, now I am a bit striked. Would you please tell me what the rule is you actually follow to notice direct objects?

Thanks.

Try this link. It even uses questions to determine the direct object: The Direct Object