New-York tribune., 1874-08-17
"Ls EUILDING' And "BEIyG BCILT7
TIE LATTER EXPRESSION PREFEREED-WHEN DOES
USAGE BECOME RULE-IHE PROGRESSIVE FORM
IL THE ACTIVE VOICE.

TIE LATTER EXPRESSION PREFEREED-WHEN DOES
USAGE BECOME A RULE-IHE PROGRESSIVE FORM
IL THE ACTIVE VOICE.
TO the EditOr OF The TrtbHne.
SIR: In your issue of Aug. | find com
muucaon signed r. in which the use OF the expires
sion "is building is defended as being Grammatcal.y
correct. VIII yOu permit me through yoar columns To
examine some Of the statements made in said commun
tion which seem TO me TO be incorrect! First, the
writer speaks of the phrase "is building as being the
use Of an "active participle in passive sense
think this an the expression " Is building Is
simply the progressive form OF the verb 10 build IN
the active voice. Z" am writing" Is the progressive
form of the verb TO write, audis equivalent TO write
Both verbs are in the voice 20 too, "is build
in is se0ulyalent to builds" Then if it BE- correct to
say the house is building must it not be equally cor
rect 20 say the house builds" Bat such an expression
Is plainly absurd The horses are feeding the snip
Is unloading. &c" says "R" 4" are no more logically
correct than that the house is luldng Let us sec
"The horses are feeding" is the same to say the
horses fcrn'.rtalnlv a correct expression Tine
cauuOt be SAID Of such terms as the snip uuioAd''
tbe house builds" OF thes" last two, OF course one Is
as logically correct the other. UufOrtdnaely,
neither IS correct Again. lie asks, WY Should the
house Is burning be correct imam the house Is
huil.ilng! p" We answer. because when changed to
their smple forms becomes the hoise burns a
correct expression, me ming tnat the acting agent S ~
the sulue, while the other becomes the house builds,
az expression which, u lae The other carries the sane
lapAcation as 10 It's subject aud WouI tLeh it"h tne
house builds itself. II may he said tat the house docs
not burn. but that fire burns 'Ac honse Nlth tqdi'
reason u may be said tJU The fire does not uNu, bdi te
chemical action involved iu comhu'unu lLth We NUS
say that the does not s-Ae Dut the clements "hch
enter INTO the suns Constitution
Ihc fact that good writers make use of the expression
under discussion does app 10 any arguneh; ~
proof O Il, grammatical correctness The concurrence
of numbers ia docs not make mat error tdl
Many good aud speakers say am i.lstaheL,
= Acn they really mean, / make mistake But tue
fact tndt such error Is made Dy good writers ana
speakers makes II less error. FInIu!, disagree
with r." IN the iGea tuat such form Ui speech "a -
building j. undoubtedly sort OF 'iluui' 'p'' a. al
Greek" Tle Greek VI i1le Voice always represents the
suaect as acting upon Itself Slch an ldcd IL not implied
ia words = building lde mousse does hot bEId IL
self The Idea IL Implied, however IN tue words l.
burning" Tue house nlNlus become nr burns ltsci
such expressions Ony tAt progressive forms oi tue
active VrrD, ia forms Of the NerJ. Iley are
correct when the uCIu- agent or prlcile J. hPl-d ia
the subject when case TIL correspond TO the creek
NJ ldc IuDy ae. Incorrect when tie aC.us agent or
principle cXiraucOus 10 the SUBJECT We ma say
watr : runuIus," bat cannot sdy butter i stnS'
Madison. OhtD. Aug -, l51t q. l. BRANCH.