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I am learning English using a language service (InSpeak.ru). Recently, I encountered the figure of speech

to be interested

For example:

I am interested in sports.

Could you please tell me if that's in the Present Simple Passive Voice?

I am asking because the language service incorrectly translates (in my opinion) this figure of speech into my language, Russian. The service says that to be interested is active voice (in my language). I feel like it is not.

MGNeo
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  • Is the translation incorrect or just the, in your view, incorrect classification of the expression as in the active voice? – Shoe Dec 07 '19 at 11:51
  • In my opinion, the translation and the classification are not correctly. – MGNeo Dec 07 '19 at 12:42
  • I was confused because it looks like to be + participle 2 (Present Simplet Passive Voice). – MGNeo Dec 07 '19 at 12:57
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    Thanks. I wondered if the translation gave any more context to the expression. As it stands alone here, by far the most convincing interpretation is that it is an active voice construction, as Edwin Ashworth explains. It describes a state that is not induced by any agent. It is similar to other expressions such skilled in and practiced in. It would be a passive construction in the following context: I was interested in sports by my father. – Shoe Dec 07 '19 at 12:57
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    How can I reliably and accurately identify the passive voice? Executive summary: simply seeing a to be + participle 2 is not enough. As an aside, you can only meet with a thing in Russian. You cannot do that in English. – RegDwigнt Dec 07 '19 at 13:03
  • Out of interest: just how does that site translate the phrase into Russian? As far as I am concerned, there is exactly one very straightforward translation, and there's really no way at all how you could possibly screw it up. So if they actually did manage that, I would stop using their services right then and there. – RegDwigнt Dec 07 '19 at 13:12
  • The site translates the phrase in active voice. But Russian language allows to say the phrase in both voices. And if we translate both variants on English it will be written equally. – MGNeo Dec 07 '19 at 13:23
  • Sorry for your eyes stumbling over my English. – MGNeo Dec 07 '19 at 13:31
  • I thought they incorrectly translate the phrase, but now I have understood it is not. – MGNeo Dec 07 '19 at 13:39

1 Answers1

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The verb interest has the following obligatorily transitive senses [Collins CoBuild Dictionary; modified]:

interest (3) verb

If something interests you, it attracts your attention so that you want to learn or hear more about it or continue doing it.

Animation had always interested me. [S + verb + DO, noun/pronoun]

[This passivises, to say The horse is always interested by people walking along the road.

But there needs to be a by-phrase to show a verbal usage;

*/?? He was interested in sports by ... (and this sounds unidiomatic; see below)]

...

......................

interest (3) verb

If you are trying to persuade someone to buy or do something, you can say that you are trying to interest them in it.

In the meantime I can't interest you in a new car, I suppose? [S + verb + noun/pronoun + in-phrase]

[But this has a restricted distribution, and certainly resists passivisation

I was interested by him in a new car (nigh on unacceptable; we'd say 'He got me interested in [buying] a new car.)

.....

He interested me in sports. [borderline acceptable; present tense worse]

.....

I was interested in sports by him. [borderline acceptable; present tense worse]

......................

So 'I am interested in sports' is best regarded as a copula + adjectival complement

I am interested in sports. ......... compare

I am happy with my old car.

Edwin Ashworth
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