English grammar questions, answered by Alan
Moderator: Alan
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Lie.K.
- Rising Star
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:01 pm
Post
by Lie.K. »
Hello
When I'd like to ask about the agent of passive voice, can I use both sentences?
Or is "By whom " not used in daily life?
For example:
1) By whom was the cake eaten?
2 Who was the cake eaten by?
Thank you. :)
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Alan
- Teacher/Moderator
- Posts: 15204
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:56 pm
- Status: Teacher of English
- Location: Japan
Post
by Alan »
While constructions such as 'who...by' are widely accepted, 'by whom' is still considered correct for formal use.