Why is it the first example works, but not the others?
This book reads well.
English aquires easily.
?The painting steals easily.
*The tennis match watches easily.
Also, for me, this is not a suitable middle:
"The baby rabbits killed quickly."
In fact, the verb "kill" hardly ever appears in middles.
Do these constructions work, IYO?
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
Could it just be convention? Maybe certain constructions have become generally accepted through widespread use while other, similarly formed ones, haven't. I'm not convinced that there's a rule and we may just have to take them on a case-by-case basis.
Sometimes the answer to the question "Why isn't this possible" is "You just can't". It may not be what students like to hear but unfortunately it's often the truth.
Sometimes the answer to the question "Why isn't this possible" is "You just can't". It may not be what students like to hear but unfortunately it's often the truth.
I wish it were so easily explained away, but various commentators have given change-of state (or lack of it) of the Affected as one reason certain verbs cannot be used in middles and predetermination( the properties for which the entity has been designed in the first place) as another reason.lolwhites wrote:Could it just be convention? Maybe certain constructions have become generally accepted through widespread use while other, similarly formed ones, haven't. I'm not convinced that there's a rule and we may just have to take them on a case-by-case basis.
Sometimes the answer to the question "Why isn't this possible" is "You just can't". It may not be what students like to hear but unfortunately it's often the truth.
Thinking of the former reason, we would have to ask why the verb "kill" is hardly ever found in middles if such constructions are meant to express a change-of-state upon the Affected.
The second reason seems more tenable. In the sentence "the baby rabbits killed quickly", it seems odd to think that the rabbits were designed in such a way as to have the property of being killed with ease - but the, it's maybe not so odd a thought.
Here, the verb "kill" and predetermination works:
"Assault weapons constitute a specific class of firearm incorporating design
characteristics intended to enhance their utility as killing machines,"
Here, the predetermination idea does prevent the verb "steal" being used:
*These jewels steal easily.
And could we say that English, above other languages, was deliberately designed with the property of being easily acquired?
*English acquires easily.
No, I'm not satisfied with the "that's just the way it is" conclusion.
The search goes on.
