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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Rephrasing
Rephrasing
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margaridacordeiro
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Rephrasing
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| Hi everyone! could you please help me out with this sentence:
Scholars say that globalisation is threatening some minor languages.
Solution:
Some minor languages.... (option A) are said to be threatened by globalisation
OR
Some minor languages are said to be being threatened by globalization ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
What �s the explanation for choosing between one and the other?
 Can you help me, please? |
11 Feb 2014
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11 Feb 2014
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piranhac
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the first sentence is the correct one.
be being is ungrammatical
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11 Feb 2014
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yanogator
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I disagree that the second choice is ungrammatical, but it is certainly awkward.
Bruce |
11 Feb 2014
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isa2
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Both sentences are in the impersonal passive.
Both sentences are gramatically correct, although the second is obviously uncommon.
The difference is that the passive contiinous expresses that the action is going on at the moment of speaking.
Since you are talking about languages, the threat cannot only be a momentary one, but would cover a longer period, thus the simple tense form would be preferred.
An example for the use of the passive continuous would be a sentence that could have been taken from a TV-report:
Michael Schumacher was injured in a skiing accident and now he is being treated at the hospital. It is thought that he will not be recovering soon.
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12 Feb 2014
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