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adverb phrase of place

1. Identity cards must be brought to the examination hall by all the candidates.
2. Identity cards must be brought by all the candidates to the examination hall.
Which is more natural? Thanks in advance.

Re: adverb phrase of place

There is a preference for your first example (1.). To see why, we have to compare your two examples (both passive) with their active voice equivalent:

Active: All the candidates must bring identity cards to the examination hall.

Passive 1: Identity cards must be brought to the examination hall by all candidates.

Passive 2: Identity cards must be brought by all the candidates to the examination.

Now consider the passive choices 1 and 2. The PP (the adverbial) to the examination hall is providing more important information than the PP by all candidates. It goes without saying that the requirement applies to all students, and is thus of secondary importance to the vital information about the location to which the cards should be brought. Further, the word order in Passive 1. is closer to the active version than it is in 2. The subject in the active version has been moved to its logical place at the end of the sentence in passive version 1.

Which is why there is a preference to place the PP to the examination hall before the PP by all candidates in the passive version, and why your first example is to be preferred.


Does that help?

PaulM

Re: adverb phrase of place

rawr

Re: adverb phrase of place

What do you mean, Emo?