[Grammar] Lost, missing, lacking

[birdeen's call]

hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker;

Just for the clarity of discussion;
Both of you have used the term "passive" many times.
I have the impression that 5jj, for most time, is talking about the passive voice - we don't use the lack in passive voice.
Where in BC example it seems to me that the "lacked by" is past participle modifying noun phrase and serves more as post-positive adjective with some passive sense.

Could you please clarify it.

Cheers

My first post contained a disclaimer:

I'm not sure whether grammarians call it passive

It is still true.

 

[5jj]

... it seems to me that the "lacked by" is past participle modifying noun phrase and serves more as post-positive adjective with some passive sense.

I think (and I deliberately use the word think) that the following preposition, by, suggests that it is a past participle rather than an adjective*, and that therefore it is an ellipted passive.

*I realise that this could be opening another can of words.


I noted BC's "I'm not sure whether grammarians call it passive", and did not address it directly then. I am a coward, sometimes, but I have hesitantly committed myself in the first sentence of this post.


PS to any moderators. What do you think about moving this thread to the Linguistics forum? I don't think we are being very helpful in the 'Ask a Teacher' section any longer.