Prounouns Problem Set

[andersonbae]

< Source - Sentence Correction p.89>


1. When the guests finished their shoup they were brought plates of salad.



As a non-native speaker, I cannot understand how they(guests) could be
written in a passive voice(were brought)?
They were brought? - Is this correct?
I think - "They brought" should be fine.

Anyone can explain why that makes sense?

[sunny.jain]

they brought would indicate the Guest did the action.
But here they are RECEIVING the action.

so in first case: It will mean that Guest brought the plates of salad, but the intended meaning is the plate of salad was represented in front of them.

So they received the plate.

[esledge]

Sunny is exactly right.

The waiters brought the salad to the guests. (ACTIVE)
The guests were brought the salad (optional: by the waiters). (PASSIVE--someone else brings the salad to the guests.)

In other contexts, the passive were brought could also refer to the guests themselves being transported...
The guests were brought to the restaurant (optional: by a taxi) for dinner. (PASSIVE--someone/something else brings the guests to the restaurant.)

For this reason, I would personally prefer to word the passive example about salad this way:
The salad was brought to the guests.
...but the example in the book is acceptable.

[markus.eglau]

Hi
I tagged this question as well (non-native), so I am glad finding a thread already : )

The q. really confuses me, why can't I say:
When the guests finished their soup, them were brought plates of salad. (instead of they) ?

[Ben Ku]

Hi
I tagged this question as well (non-native), so I am glad finding a thread already : )

The q. really confuses me, why can't I say:
When the guests finished their soup, them were brought plates of salad. (instead of they) ?

In a sentence, the person/thing that is doing the action is the subject, while the person/thing receiving the action is the object. There are different sets of pronouns used for subjects and objects.
Subjective Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who
Objective Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom

In the sentence here,
THEY were brought plates of salad
is incorrect because THEY functions as the subject of the sentence. We can also rewrite it in the following way:
The plates of salad were brought TO THEM
this way, THEM becomes the object of the sentence.

Hope that makes sense.