Use passive in the past
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Is it possible to tell:
They have begun (to) being checked.
?
The meaning: The police started to check people some time ago. But I can not
mention "police" in the sentence.
past-tense passive-voice
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
add a comment |
Is it possible to tell:
They have begun (to) being checked.
?
The meaning: The police started to check people some time ago. But I can not
mention "police" in the sentence.
past-tense passive-voice
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
add a comment |
Is it possible to tell:
They have begun (to) being checked.
?
The meaning: The police started to check people some time ago. But I can not
mention "police" in the sentence.
past-tense passive-voice
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
Is it possible to tell:
They have begun (to) being checked.
?
The meaning: The police started to check people some time ago. But I can not
mention "police" in the sentence.
past-tense passive-voice
past-tense passive-voice
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
edited Feb 5 at 16:42
Jasper
17.9k43568
17.9k43568
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
asked Feb 5 at 15:43
OlgaOlga
111
111
add a comment |
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
"They have begun (to) being checked" is incorrect.
If "they" refers to the subject being checked by the police, you could say:
They have begun to be checked.
If "they" actually refers to the police carrying out the check, you could say:
They have begun to check.
Both these statements assume that you have previously established who "they" are, who or what is being checked, and what that check entails.
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
add a comment |
In the first place, begin takes two sorts of complement, which you may have confused:
- a gerund-participle clause: begin checking
- a marked infinitive clause: begin to check
Be careful not to combine the two forms: begin to checking is impossible!
In the second place, They have begun does not designate a "past" event: it is a present tense, the present perfect, which designates a current state which originated in a past event.
The meaning of a perfect construction (and consequently the propriety of using it) depends on the context, including the verbs involved. This gets very tricky with begin, which has two different senses:
- It can mean to start an undifferentiated atelic activity (e.g., "start studying") which continues indefinitely, or
- It can mean to start an evolving telic activity (e.g., "start learning") which "grows" toward completion.
Without more context it's not clear which meaning you intend here. I suspect you mean the first: checking started some time ago (and presumably continues today). If that's the case, begin designates an event which happened entirely in the past; it is only the checking which continues. Accordingly you should use the simple past:
Police began [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People began [being/to be] checked.
But it is also possible that you mean the second: the police started their checking activity in the past but are still in process of extending that to all the people involved. In that case you would properly use the present perfect:
Police have begun [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People have begun [being/to be] checked.
Note, by the way, that these examples do not exhaust all the contexts in which the contrast between simple past and present perfect arises. This is a very complicated matter.
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
add a comment |
"They have begun to be checked [by the police]" is a well-formed past passive sentence (with or without "by the police").
"They have begun being checked" is probably fine as well.
"They were being checked [by the police]" is also fine.
Edit: I discussed emending your text in a way that doesn't work, but there is no need for that discussion, so I have removed it.
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
add a comment |
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
"They have begun (to) being checked" is incorrect.
If "they" refers to the subject being checked by the police, you could say:
They have begun to be checked.
If "they" actually refers to the police carrying out the check, you could say:
They have begun to check.
Both these statements assume that you have previously established who "they" are, who or what is being checked, and what that check entails.
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
add a comment |
"They have begun (to) being checked" is incorrect.
If "they" refers to the subject being checked by the police, you could say:
They have begun to be checked.
If "they" actually refers to the police carrying out the check, you could say:
They have begun to check.
Both these statements assume that you have previously established who "they" are, who or what is being checked, and what that check entails.
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
add a comment |
"They have begun (to) being checked" is incorrect.
If "they" refers to the subject being checked by the police, you could say:
They have begun to be checked.
If "they" actually refers to the police carrying out the check, you could say:
They have begun to check.
Both these statements assume that you have previously established who "they" are, who or what is being checked, and what that check entails.
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
"They have begun (to) being checked" is incorrect.
If "they" refers to the subject being checked by the police, you could say:
They have begun to be checked.
If "they" actually refers to the police carrying out the check, you could say:
They have begun to check.
Both these statements assume that you have previously established who "they" are, who or what is being checked, and what that check entails.
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
answered Feb 5 at 15:48
AstralbeeAstralbee
12.4k1146
12.4k1146
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
add a comment |
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
3
3
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
Note that neither of these are past-tense - I believe they're both present-perfect. The past-perfect would be "They had begun...", while the simple past would be "They began..."
– BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
Feb 5 at 17:49
add a comment |
In the first place, begin takes two sorts of complement, which you may have confused:
- a gerund-participle clause: begin checking
- a marked infinitive clause: begin to check
Be careful not to combine the two forms: begin to checking is impossible!
In the second place, They have begun does not designate a "past" event: it is a present tense, the present perfect, which designates a current state which originated in a past event.
The meaning of a perfect construction (and consequently the propriety of using it) depends on the context, including the verbs involved. This gets very tricky with begin, which has two different senses:
- It can mean to start an undifferentiated atelic activity (e.g., "start studying") which continues indefinitely, or
- It can mean to start an evolving telic activity (e.g., "start learning") which "grows" toward completion.
Without more context it's not clear which meaning you intend here. I suspect you mean the first: checking started some time ago (and presumably continues today). If that's the case, begin designates an event which happened entirely in the past; it is only the checking which continues. Accordingly you should use the simple past:
Police began [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People began [being/to be] checked.
But it is also possible that you mean the second: the police started their checking activity in the past but are still in process of extending that to all the people involved. In that case you would properly use the present perfect:
Police have begun [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People have begun [being/to be] checked.
Note, by the way, that these examples do not exhaust all the contexts in which the contrast between simple past and present perfect arises. This is a very complicated matter.
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
add a comment |
In the first place, begin takes two sorts of complement, which you may have confused:
- a gerund-participle clause: begin checking
- a marked infinitive clause: begin to check
Be careful not to combine the two forms: begin to checking is impossible!
In the second place, They have begun does not designate a "past" event: it is a present tense, the present perfect, which designates a current state which originated in a past event.
The meaning of a perfect construction (and consequently the propriety of using it) depends on the context, including the verbs involved. This gets very tricky with begin, which has two different senses:
- It can mean to start an undifferentiated atelic activity (e.g., "start studying") which continues indefinitely, or
- It can mean to start an evolving telic activity (e.g., "start learning") which "grows" toward completion.
Without more context it's not clear which meaning you intend here. I suspect you mean the first: checking started some time ago (and presumably continues today). If that's the case, begin designates an event which happened entirely in the past; it is only the checking which continues. Accordingly you should use the simple past:
Police began [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People began [being/to be] checked.
But it is also possible that you mean the second: the police started their checking activity in the past but are still in process of extending that to all the people involved. In that case you would properly use the present perfect:
Police have begun [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People have begun [being/to be] checked.
Note, by the way, that these examples do not exhaust all the contexts in which the contrast between simple past and present perfect arises. This is a very complicated matter.
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
add a comment |
In the first place, begin takes two sorts of complement, which you may have confused:
- a gerund-participle clause: begin checking
- a marked infinitive clause: begin to check
Be careful not to combine the two forms: begin to checking is impossible!
In the second place, They have begun does not designate a "past" event: it is a present tense, the present perfect, which designates a current state which originated in a past event.
The meaning of a perfect construction (and consequently the propriety of using it) depends on the context, including the verbs involved. This gets very tricky with begin, which has two different senses:
- It can mean to start an undifferentiated atelic activity (e.g., "start studying") which continues indefinitely, or
- It can mean to start an evolving telic activity (e.g., "start learning") which "grows" toward completion.
Without more context it's not clear which meaning you intend here. I suspect you mean the first: checking started some time ago (and presumably continues today). If that's the case, begin designates an event which happened entirely in the past; it is only the checking which continues. Accordingly you should use the simple past:
Police began [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People began [being/to be] checked.
But it is also possible that you mean the second: the police started their checking activity in the past but are still in process of extending that to all the people involved. In that case you would properly use the present perfect:
Police have begun [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People have begun [being/to be] checked.
Note, by the way, that these examples do not exhaust all the contexts in which the contrast between simple past and present perfect arises. This is a very complicated matter.
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
In the first place, begin takes two sorts of complement, which you may have confused:
- a gerund-participle clause: begin checking
- a marked infinitive clause: begin to check
Be careful not to combine the two forms: begin to checking is impossible!
In the second place, They have begun does not designate a "past" event: it is a present tense, the present perfect, which designates a current state which originated in a past event.
The meaning of a perfect construction (and consequently the propriety of using it) depends on the context, including the verbs involved. This gets very tricky with begin, which has two different senses:
- It can mean to start an undifferentiated atelic activity (e.g., "start studying") which continues indefinitely, or
- It can mean to start an evolving telic activity (e.g., "start learning") which "grows" toward completion.
Without more context it's not clear which meaning you intend here. I suspect you mean the first: checking started some time ago (and presumably continues today). If that's the case, begin designates an event which happened entirely in the past; it is only the checking which continues. Accordingly you should use the simple past:
Police began [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People began [being/to be] checked.
But it is also possible that you mean the second: the police started their checking activity in the past but are still in process of extending that to all the people involved. In that case you would properly use the present perfect:
Police have begun [checking/to check] people, or in the passive
People have begun [being/to be] checked.
Note, by the way, that these examples do not exhaust all the contexts in which the contrast between simple past and present perfect arises. This is a very complicated matter.
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
edited Feb 5 at 16:36
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
answered Feb 5 at 16:30
StoneyBStoneyB
171k10234415
171k10234415
add a comment |
add a comment |
"They have begun to be checked [by the police]" is a well-formed past passive sentence (with or without "by the police").
"They have begun being checked" is probably fine as well.
"They were being checked [by the police]" is also fine.
Edit: I discussed emending your text in a way that doesn't work, but there is no need for that discussion, so I have removed it.
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
add a comment |
"They have begun to be checked [by the police]" is a well-formed past passive sentence (with or without "by the police").
"They have begun being checked" is probably fine as well.
"They were being checked [by the police]" is also fine.
Edit: I discussed emending your text in a way that doesn't work, but there is no need for that discussion, so I have removed it.
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
add a comment |
"They have begun to be checked [by the police]" is a well-formed past passive sentence (with or without "by the police").
"They have begun being checked" is probably fine as well.
"They were being checked [by the police]" is also fine.
Edit: I discussed emending your text in a way that doesn't work, but there is no need for that discussion, so I have removed it.
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
"They have begun to be checked [by the police]" is a well-formed past passive sentence (with or without "by the police").
"They have begun being checked" is probably fine as well.
"They were being checked [by the police]" is also fine.
Edit: I discussed emending your text in a way that doesn't work, but there is no need for that discussion, so I have removed it.
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
edited Feb 5 at 17:08
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
answered Feb 5 at 16:07
Colin FineColin Fine
30.4k24258
30.4k24258
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
add a comment |
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
@LorelC.: you're right. I had emended "(to) being checked" to "to be being checked" and discussed that; but the OP didn't ask that. So I've added the case "begun being checked" which I don't regard as dubious at all, and removed the other discussion. This makes your comment otiose, StoneyB.
– Colin Fine
Feb 5 at 17:10
add a comment |
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