Is the word "sadden" a verb or adjective?
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Is the word "sadden" a verb or adjective?
"Hello,
Is the word "sadden" a verb or adjective in the following sentences?
1. He was greatly saddened by the death of his only son.
2. I was saddened when I heard about your father’s death.
3. It saddens me to think that we'll never see her again."
Is the word "sadden" a verb or adjective in the following sentences?
1. He was greatly saddened by the death of his only son.
2. I was saddened when I heard about your father’s death.
3. It saddens me to think that we'll never see her again."
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Sentence 3 is clearly a verb ('It'=subject, 'saddens'=verb, transitive, 'me'=object). Sentence 1 contains a clearer [passive] participle than sentence 2, as shown by the sustitutions (of the adjective 'sad') I've added:
1. He was greatly saddened/*sad by the death of his only son.
2. I was saddened/sad when I heard about your father’s death.
(3. It saddens/*sad me to think that we'll never see her again.)
1. He was greatly saddened/*sad by the death of his only son.
2. I was saddened/sad when I heard about your father’s death.
(3. It saddens/*sad me to think that we'll never see her again.)
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thanks you
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
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You're welcome, HIC! I just thought I'd add an explicitly passive paraphrase (that is, replace the subordinate when-clause containing the repeated subject 'I', instead with a prepositional by-phrase containing an "agent") of sentence 2:
I am/was saddened by (the news of) your father's death.
The active equivalent would be:
(The news of) your father's death saddened/saddens me.
I am/was saddened by (the news of) your father's death.
The active equivalent would be:
(The news of) your father's death saddened/saddens me.