|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > To be blamed/to blame
To be blamed/to blame
|
liewsusfah
|
To be blamed/to blame
|
|
Just curious to know whether these two sentences carry the same meaning. Or which one is more correct/logical?
(a) He is to blame for the mistake he made.
(b) He is to be blamed for the mistake he made. |
18 Jun 2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter Hardy
|
|
I agree with Douglas. But instead of blaming (negative) you may change to �take responsibility � for some positive intonations.
|
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
MoodyMoody
|
|
I have to respectfully disagree with Douglas and Peter. The first sentence means that he is at fault, that something he did or failed to do caused the problem. The second can mean that, but could also mean that he is not responsible but is a convenient scapegoat. People are often blamed for things that they could not have prevented. |
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
Zora
|
|
I agree with Peter and Douglas.
|
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
I disagree with moodymoody. If the person in the sentence is being a scapegoat, the sentence would be something like "He will be blamed...", rather than "He is to be blamed...".
Bruce |
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
Pelletrine
|
 ... I rather agree with MoodyMoody.a) is a statement: �he � has done something that didn �t go right. b) somebody puts the fault on �he �.... but, he hasn �t been officially blamed for it. It could mean "we should blame him for it." or "we should/could put the fault on him. ... is to be... hasn �t been done yet. OK, maybe some would use both indifferently ... What would you, dear Bruce say? |
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
Pelletrine
|
|
Hehe: Bruce answered before my post came up ;o))
|
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
Yes, I did, Pelletrine, but you bring up an interesting point. I think that in BrE, people use "is to be" as a future passive construction. In the US, we would do that only in very formal writing.
US Formal: That matter is to be discussed at our next meeting.
US Informal: That matter will be discussed at our next meeting.
That matter is going to be discussed at our next meeting.
Note that my examples are from a business setting. In everyday speech, we in the US usually don �t use "is to be" as future passive.
Bruce
|
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
Pelletrine
|
|
Thanks for pointing out this BrE UsE difference.
|
19 Jun 2013
|
|
|
cunliffe
|
|
�He is to blame � is a fact, or an opinion. �He is to be blamed � - there is an element of imperative - we must blame him.
Maybe? |
19 Jun 2013
|
|
1
2
Next >
|
