Confusing wording "You'd be lying vs you'd be disappointed "

Robert S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Confusing wording "You'd be lying vs you'd be disappointed "

If the correct answer to: "I didn't want to listen for fear that you'd be lying." is "Je ne voulais pas écouter de peur que tu ne mentes.", then this seems to be somewhat in conflict with another question "I didn't do it for fear that you would be disappointed." whose correct response has been noted to be "Je ne l'ai pas fait de crainte que vous ne soyez déçus".

The confusion (at least to me, is the use of the verb "to be" in the two sentences. If the correct answer is not "Je ne voulais pas écouter de peur que tu ne sois mentir" then perhaps a better phrasing of the English sentence would be: "I didn't want to lister for fear that you'd lie" thereby bringing emphasis to the verb "to lie" and away from the verb "to be".  Of course, there is always a distinct chance I'm totally missing the point.

Asked 4 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

The correct versions of the two sentences are:

Je ne voulais pas écouter de peur que tu ne mentes.
Je ne l'ai pas fait de crainte que vous ne soyez déçus.

There is no continuous form ("ing"-form) in French, so there will be instances where you'd use the continuous form in English with, of course, no equivalent in French. That's why you find "mentes" in French. "soyez mentir" would be the failed attempt at reconstructing ing-form in French, which is wrong.

The second sentence is passive voice, which is always constructed with the proper form of être + participle.

Liz H.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I have the same question as Robert, but don’t see how the two examples are different. They both state that “I didn’t do something for fear that you’d be something.” How is that second sentence passive and the first not? Thanks for more clarification on this? 

Patrick K.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I have the same question as Robert & Liz. @Chris: Can you please explain why the 2nd sentence is passive voice? Is the rule that anything ending in "-ing" passive? Are there other cases?

Thanks!

Confusing wording "You'd be lying vs you'd be disappointed "

If the correct answer to: "I didn't want to listen for fear that you'd be lying." is "Je ne voulais pas écouter de peur que tu ne mentes.", then this seems to be somewhat in conflict with another question "I didn't do it for fear that you would be disappointed." whose correct response has been noted to be "Je ne l'ai pas fait de crainte que vous ne soyez déçus".

The confusion (at least to me, is the use of the verb "to be" in the two sentences. If the correct answer is not "Je ne voulais pas écouter de peur que tu ne sois mentir" then perhaps a better phrasing of the English sentence would be: "I didn't want to lister for fear that you'd lie" thereby bringing emphasis to the verb "to lie" and away from the verb "to be".  Of course, there is always a distinct chance I'm totally missing the point.

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