[Grammar] Some fishes spend most of their life buried in sand on the ocean bottom.

[Son Ho]

Hi, everyone. Could we use past participle after spend in the following sentence?

1. Some fishes spend most of their life buried in sand on the ocean bottom.

 

[jutfrank]

Show us what you mean.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hi, everyone. Could we use past participle after spend in the following sentence?

1. Some fish spend most of their life buried in sand on the ocean bottom.

You can use the past participle instead of but not after: Some fish have spent . . . .

 

[Son Ho]

Show us what you mean.

We can use past participle after spend, but I don't know if the first sentence is active and the second one is passive. Do the two following sentences have the same meaning or not? Could you please explain?

1. Some fish spend most of their life burying in sand on the ocean bottom
2. Some fish spend most of their life buried in sand on the ocean bottom.

 

[jutfrank]

Do the two following sentences have the same meaning or not? Could you please explain?

Sentence 1 is wrong. Only buried is correct because the meaning of this sentence is what you're describing as 'passive', not 'active'.

Here's a sentence which has an 'active' sense, and which uses a present participle:

Fish spend most of their lives looking for food.

 

[Son Ho]

Is it correct if I have the following sentence with active meaning?

3. Some fish spend most of their life burying themselves in sand on the ocean bottom.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is it correct if I have the following sentence with active meaning?

3. Some fish spend most of their lives burying themselves in sand on the ocean bottom.

Good job adding themselves. I was about to suggest it.

Keep it all plural!