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"Question to anyone who speaks English !"

Yesterday was my English exam, and there was a question that I disagreed on with all the English teachers in the school, so in order to know the exact correct answer, the best thing to do is to ask British people (I am Egyptian by the way). This is the question:

Begin the following phrase with the word "Books", so that it would give the same meaning:
-People still read books.

My answer: Books are still being read by people.
The teachers' answer: Books are still read by people.

There are only 2 students in the school that wrote my answer: Me and my friend, and we're both the best English students in the school. And I mean the BEST, there is no one else in the school that can be compared to us. While on the other hand, all 3 English teachers in the school say that the correct answer is the other one, so ?

homosh wrote:
> Would that make any difference ?

ye..no

J Nash wrote:
> Begin the sentence "The blind Stevie Wonder was eaten by a
> loris" with the word "eaten" to make it have the same
> meaning go!

Eaten, the blind Stevie Wonder was, by a loris, he was consumed, hmm?

correct that statement gives no indication of which loris was doing the eating and if it was Egyptian! congratulations!

Even I haven't heard about her before. But come on, I'm serious, does it make any difference ?

homosh wrote:
> Actually the phrase was about specific books, it was "Dr. Aisha's
> books", but I didn't mention that because no one here has heard
> before about Dr. Aisha

Well then you are perfectly correct to include the word "being". It is a more specific passive verb that indicates a certain event. For instance, if your sentence was "The books are still read by people", including the definite article and therefore indicating some specific books (in your case they are named as Dr Aicha's books), then the word "being", while not necessary, does not change the meaning and is perfectly correct!

Fried chicken?

They're both technically right, but yours implies there was questioning of whether people still read books or not, not simply stating that people read books.

homosh wrote:
> Even I haven't heard about her before. But come on, I'm serious, does
> it make any difference ?

ye..no

"Books are still being read by people" implies that people are reading the books RIGHT NOW, as you write it.

"Books are still read by people" shows that people still read books.


It's easy.

When you say "I am being abused", it doesn't mean that it is happening right now.