When did the bridge open?

[abo.omar]

When did the bridge open?
Why didn't we use the passive voice here?
If you please I read before that there is a kind of verbs can be use in the above way,I mean in the active form although the subject isn't the doer of the verb, what is this rule title?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

When did the bridge open?
Why didn't we use the passive voice here?

I'm not sure you can put it in the passive voice. Maybe it's simply not possible. Can anyone else here suggest a way to do it?

If you please, I read once that there is a kind of verb that can be use in the above way, (space) I mean in the active form, although the subject isn't the doer of the verb. What is this rule called?

I'm also not a grammarian. Some else here might know its name.

Those are interesting questions. Let's see if anyone here can shed some light.

 

[abo.omar]

When did the bridge open?
Why didn't we use the passive voice here?
If you please I read before that there is a kind of verbs can be used in the above way,I mean in the active form although the subject isn't the doer of the verb, what is this rule title?

I also wrote use not used

 

[emsr2d2]

Note that "If you please" is incredibly old-fashioned. We simply don't use it anymore. You didn't need anything before "I read".

 

[jutfrank]

When did the bridge open?
Why didn't we use the passive voice here?

Who is 'we'? Who said this sentence?

The verb open is a special kind of verb, which allows for both its grammatical subject (here, the bridge) to be the thing that is affected (in this case, the thing that is opened by somebody) as well as its grammatical object.

In other words, When did the bridge open? and When was the bridge opened? mean the same thing.

If you're asking for a technical explanation—in semantics, we would say that in the red sentence above, the predicate open is a one-place predicate whereas the predicate open in the blue sentence is a two-place predicate. The semantic role of the bridge could be called the affected.

 

[abo.omar]

Who is 'we'? Who said this sentence?

The verb open is a special kind of verb, which allows for both its grammatical subject (here, the bridge) to be the thing that is affected (in this case, the thing that is opened by somebody) as well as its grammatical object.

In other words, When did the bridge open? and When was the bridge opened? mean the same thing.

If you're asking for a technical explanation—in semantics, we would say that in the red sentence above, the predicate open is a one-place predicate whereas the predicate open in the blue sentence is a two-place predicate. The semantic role of the bridge could be called the affected.

I teach prep students. I want to tell them something specific ,easy,simple and clear.And I got it .

 

[abo.omar]

Note that "If you please" is incredibly old-fashioned. We simply don't use it anymore. You didn't need anything before "I read".

OK I heard that people in London say the word please more than anything else.

 

[emsr2d2]

OK. I heard that people in London say the word "please" more than anything else.

I didn't say that "please" was old-fashioned. I said that the phrase "If you please" is old-fashioned. "Please" on its own would have made no sense either at the start of your sentence.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I also wrote use not used

You're right. I didn't notice that. Yes, it should be used.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

OK I heard that people in London say the word please more than anything else.

Yes. Please in American English has a different meaning and isn't used as often here. To us it can sound either like anger (Will you please turn off that infernal racket!) or begging (Please, Sir, I want some more. . . . ), depending on the context. But I've read that the English are sometimes offended when we don't use it.

It's the "If you" that's obsolete. In general, just say "Please," not "If you please."

And in your sentence, don't even say "Please." It doesn't fit.

 

[abo.omar]

I didn't say that "please" was old-fashioned. I said that the phrase "If you please" is old-fashioned. "Please" on its own would have made no sense either at the start of your sentence.

The English books which we teach here in Egypt ,written by native British English,use such phrases.

 

[abo.omar]

If they use them in the way that you used this one on your original post, then I suggest you throw the books away.

[h=2]f you please[/h]
convention If you please is sometimes used as a very polite and formal way of attracting someone's attention or of asking them to do something.
[politeness] Ladies and gentlemen, if you please. Miss Taylor's going to play for us.

Sir Harry! Stop, if you please!

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/if-you-please

 

[abo.omar]

if you please used for emphasizing a request
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/if-you-please

 

[emsr2d2]

abo.omar, we are not denying that the phrase exists. We are telling you, as native speakers, that we simply do not use it these days. It's very old-fashioned.

 

[jutfrank]

I do actually use if you please quite regularly, but I do it deliberately to sound overly formal and old-fashioned, in a semi-joking manner.

 

[Tdol]

The English books which we teach here in Egypt ,written by native British English,use such phrases.

When were they first published?