'The procedure is applied' vs 'the procedure applies'

[Tamara]

Hi

I see that the verb to apply is used both ways as in, for example, ‘the procedure is applied’ and ‘the procedure applies’.
(The second sounds to me very unnatural.)

The sentence I'm now dealing with is:
Each activity contains an explanation of the cases to which it will apply.

and let’s imagine that I have a power () to rephrase it making ‘…will be applied’.

But would it change its meaning?

PS This is a very formal description (guide) of a ‘full set’ of some technical activities and tasks to be applied in ‘project’-specific contexts.
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[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

The difference between 'is/will be applied' and simply 'applies' is that the 'passive' form is the one that indicates that something is being actively undertaken and the use of 'applies' just refers to the present condition or state.

You have probably read about the container ship that has run aground off the Devon coast in the south of England. People have been looting those boxes that have been washed up ashore. You could say: I think that the same laws about stealing should apply to looting. Again you can report: Police have now cordoned off the beach and the law relating to salvage according to XXXX has been applied.

A
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[Jamie (K)]

I think the difference between "applies" and "be applied" is more than just active and passive in this case. There are really two verbs, one an active verb and the other a stative verb. One can be passivized and one cannot.

Active
People apply this system when there is an emergency.
= This system is applied when there is an emergency.

Stative
This system applies when there is an emergency.
= This system is valid when there is an emergency.
No passive is possible, because there is no agent and no direct object.

So for your sentence:

Each activity contains an explanation of the cases to which it will apply.
= Each activity contains an explanation of the cases in which it will be valid.
In this case, "apply" is a stative verb, so when you make it passive, you are changing it to an active verb with a different subject:

Each activity contains an explanation of the cases to which it will be applied.
= Each activity contains an explanation of the cases to which people will apply it.

[Alan]

Well, yes. I have just said that, haven't I?

A
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[Jamie (K)]

[Tamara]

I think I've got the difference.

For myself I'll remember it by 'labling' the second case of apply with the 'label': it just states the condition that smth is potentially appllicable. And nothing about whether it will really be applied, how, and by whom.

Thanks a lot for your explanations!
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[Jamie (K)]

[Prezbucky]

...just don't misspell "applicable".

hehe


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[Tamara]

...I’llll never do this again. I pprrrommmiiisssse!


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