In English, the word ‘made’ can serve as both a past participle and an adjective, depending on its use in a sentence. In the phrase ‘market arose for medicines made using parts of mummies,’ it’s important to understand how ‘made’ functions grammatically. Let’s explore how ‘made’ fits within this sentence and how past participles and adjectives work in general.
The Role of Past Participles in English
Past participles are a crucial part of verb tenses, especially when forming perfect tenses or passive constructions. In the case of ‘made,’ it is the past participle of the verb ‘make.’ When used in a sentence like ‘medicines made using parts of mummies,’ it functions as part of a passive construction, where ‘medicines’ is the subject being acted upon, and ‘made’ describes what is being done to the subject.
In this example, ‘made’ isn’t describing the medicines directly; rather, it is describing the action that was done to them. This makes it a past participle in the passive voice, meaning the action (making) was performed on the medicines, not by them.
When ‘Made’ Acts as an Adjective
Although ‘made’ is primarily known as a past participle, it can also function as an adjective in some cases. When used to describe a noun, as in ‘homemade bread’ or ‘handmade jewelry,’ it provides additional information about the noun, acting as an adjective. In these cases, ‘made’ describes the way in which something was created or produced.
However, in the phrase ‘medicines made using parts of mummies,’ ‘made’ is not directly modifying ‘medicines’ in an adjectival way. Instead, it is part of a passive construction, so its role here is primarily as a past participle.
How ‘Made’ Works in Passive Voice
In passive voice constructions, the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action rather than the one performing it. In the sentence ‘market arose for medicines made using parts of mummies,’ ‘made’ forms part of the passive construction describing how the medicines were created. The sentence could be rewritten as ‘medicines that were made using parts of mummies,’ which makes the passive nature of the action clearer.
This use of the past participle ‘made’ in the passive voice highlights how the action of making is directed toward the medicines, not by them. It emphasizes the process the medicines underwent rather than who performed the action.
Summary: The Dual Function of ‘Made’
In the sentence ‘market arose for medicines made using parts of mummies,’ the word ‘made’ functions as a past participle within a passive voice construction. While ‘made’ can also function as an adjective when it describes the manner of creation, in this case, it describes the passive action performed on the medicines. Understanding the distinction between past participles and adjectives helps clarify how ‘made’ functions in different contexts, especially in passive voice constructions.
コメント