Adjective or Past Participle?

[Van Khanh]

In these cases, "finished" is past participle or adjectif?

1. The finished aricle/product.

2. Their marriage was finished.

3. The play is finished.

What is the difference in meaning btw adjectif "finish" and the verb "finish" in:

a. The play finished at 10.30.
b. The play was finished at 10.30.

(In (B), "finished" is adj or the past participle of the passive voice?)

Thanks

[Pamela]

The finished aricle.It's Participle II expressed as an attribute in the sentence.

2. Their marriage was finished. (Participle II, past passive of the verb to finish,as predicative in the sentence)

3. The play is finished. (Participle II,present passive of the same verb, as predicative in the sentence)

The play finished at 10.30.( better to say was finished)

[Van Khanh]

Hi,

I think in all the mentioned cases, "finished" can be either adjective or past participle.

What I don't understand, that why there are at once 2 natures of words (adj and past participle) because with the mentioned cases, I think only one verb is sufficient, we can form the sentences.

Do you think the adj "finished" in any dictionaries is unnecessary?

Thanks
K

[Yankee]

Hi Khahn

Past participles are used as adjectives extremely often. For example: "storm-ravaged houses".

[Alan]

Hi Van Khanh,

The use of the word finished both as an adjective and past participle is perfectly acceptable.

You could illustrate this by developing the sentences you have given. The writer Charles Dickens wrote a book called the Mystery of Edwin Drood. He didn't finish (simple past)the book because he died before he had written the complete story - in other words the novel wasn't finished (past passive)by him. Later another writer finished (past simple)the book and the finished (adjective meaning completed) book was published.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a policeman

[Van Khanh]

Thanks Alan and Amy.

Hi Amy,

Please read:

We finished the play at 10.30. (Active voice). (a)

When you change (a) into passive voice, you have:

The play was finished at 10.30. (passive voice) (b)

Compare (b) with:

The play was finished (=over) at 10.30. (c)

Can you tell me the difference in meaning btw:

(b) (passive voice)

and:

(c) (not passive voice)

Only in this case,if (b) and (c) have the same meaning, do you think the appearance of either "finished" (past participle) or "finished" (adj, means "over") in the dictionary is unnecessary?

Thanks
K

[Alan]

Hi,

Just to make the point once more: The play was finished means it came to and end - it ended - it was no more. It isn't passive because there is no agent stated or implied. It wasn't finished by anyone - it simply came to an end.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story In short

[Yankee]

[Van Khanh]

Hi,

Ok. (I asked many times because I am affected by French ).

Thanks.
K

[Van Khanh]

Hi Amy and Alan,

Please tell me the difference btw :

a. I won't be finished for another hour.
b. I won't finish for another hour.

Many thanks
K

[Yankee]

.
Basically the same grammatical difference, Khahn:
1.

[Van Khanh]

Hi Amy,

In French , "finish" is transitive verb. In English, "finish" is also transitive verb (you will see [VN] with "finish" in the English dictionary).

So, in short, please tell me only one thing. We don't speak any more about passive or not. You are native speaker. So, when seeing:

a. I won't be finished for another hour.
b. I won't finish for another hour.

How do you feel? The same meaning?Please answer yes or no?If not, what is the difference in meaning?

Thanks
K

P.S:
Finish( v) : To stop doing sth.
Finish (adj) : No longer doing sth.
Ok, a and be aren't the passive form. But, do you realize, if they are the same meaning, that putting adj "finish" in the dictionary is unnecessary?

[Yankee]

Hi Khahn

The verb finish can be both transative and intransative.

[Bara]

Hi all,
I hope things work fine after this extensive dictionary discussion. I just wonder if the last sentence Amy wrote was correct or it has a typing (press) mistake.

Amy wrote:

[Yankee]

Hi Baraa

Have you checked a dictionary for the adjective "projected"? I hope that your dictionary has not decided that this word is unnecessary.

My last sentence was written exactly as I intended to write it: "The projected finish date is...". This is a sentence that companies often use. The adjective "projected" means "planned" or "predicted".

The verb "to project" might be an interesting verb to discuss in a new thread.

But it's true that you could also talk about the "planned finish date" of "a project".

Amy