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mfhboy · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 6:06 pm Post subject: passive form question

What is general rules of making proper question form with passive voice like "I was born in HK"?

No passive voice question starts with Do/Does/Did, right?
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Kristea · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 6:11 pm Post subject: Your question

The sentence, "I was born in HK" is not a passive sentence. It is just a simple past tense sentence.

It can be made into a question by saying...

"Was I born in HK?" (an odd question...)

Does that help - let me know if it doesn't and I'll try again - Kristea
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doliver · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 36

Passive constructions always have a form of be and the past participle of a verb. Because be is part of every passive construction, the auxiliaries do, does, and did are not used to make questions for sentences in passive voice:

I was born in Hong Kong. ---> Were you born in Hong Kong?

Dinner is served at 6:00 PM. ---> Is dinner served at 6:00 PM?

Dinner is being served right now. ---> Is dinner being served right now?

Dinner was being served when they arrived. ---> Was dinner being served when they arrived?

Dinner will be served at 6:00 PM. ---> Will dinner be served at 6:00 PM?

Dinner has already been served. ---> Has dinner already been served?

etc.

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I hope this information is useful to you, mfhboy.

D. Oliver
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Estrella Mountain Community College
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http://www.emc.maricopa.edu