![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
I'm not complaining, it's not too annoying. But it's raised a question.
If I say "there are # green bottles hanging on the wall", the word "are" comes before the phrase "green bottles". But if I say "# green bottles are hanging on the wall" the word "are" has to come after the phrase "green bottles".
If I say "there # green bottles are hanging on the wall", that is a different meaning from either of the above sentences. And "are # green bottles hanging on the wall" isn't even an option.
Why?
If I say "there are # green bottles hanging on the wall", the word "are" comes before the phrase "green bottles". But if I say "# green bottles are hanging on the wall" the word "are" has to come after the phrase "green bottles".
If I say "there # green bottles are hanging on the wall", that is a different meaning from either of the above sentences. And "are # green bottles hanging on the wall" isn't even an option.
Why?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-17 08:27 am (UTC)I know what you're saying, but that's not the passive. Passive would be "ten green bottles were hung on the wall" or "a wall is being stood on by a man".