student asking question

Does the phrase "get in trouble" a passive voice? Would there be an active voice version of it?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

That's an interesting question. The phrase "to get in trouble" is actually in the active voice already, despite using the verb "get". The reason this is active is that nothing/no one is acting on the speaker. There is no natural-sounding way to put this expression in the passive voice, but there are passive voice alternatives to the expression in this context. Ex: I got yelled at by the teacher for talking in class. Ex: I was scolded for talking in class. ("to scold" = express strong criticism of someone because of their actions or behavior)

Popular Q&As

10/26

Complete the expression with a quiz!