In English, sentences like ‘Get dressed by the time she comes’ may seem confusing when it comes to grammar. Specifically, the question arises: why is ‘dressed’ used instead of ‘dress’ in this sentence? This article will explain the usage of ‘dressed’ in this context and why it’s grammatically correct.
1. The Passive Voice and ‘Get + Past Participle’ Structure
The key to understanding this sentence lies in the passive voice. In English, when we say ‘Get dressed’, we are using a structure where ‘dressed’ is the past participle of the verb ‘dress’. The phrase ‘Get dressed’ essentially means ‘to have oneself dressed’ or ‘to cause oneself to become dressed’. In this case, ‘dressed’ functions as a passive verb that describes the state the subject should be in.
This construction is very common in English when we want to talk about an action that involves a change of state. It is often used in commands or instructions, like ‘Get ready’ or ‘Get cleaned up’.
2. The Meaning of ‘By the Time She Comes’
Another important part of this sentence is the phrase ‘by the time she comes’. This indicates a deadline or a specific time when the action (getting dressed) should be completed. ‘By the time’ is a time expression used to show that something needs to happen before a specific event or time.
In this case, the instruction is to get dressed before ‘she’ arrives, which creates a sense of urgency. The use of the passive form ‘get dressed’ emphasizes that the subject should reach a state of being dressed, rather than focusing on the act of dressing itself.
3. Why Not Use ‘Dress’ Instead?
If you were to say ‘Get dress by the time she comes’, it would sound incorrect to native English speakers. This is because ‘dress’ is an action verb, and in the context of this sentence, we need a verb in the passive form (dressed) to describe the state the subject should be in. ‘Dress’ would suggest an action that needs to be performed, but the focus here is on the state of being dressed, not the action of putting on clothes.
Using the past participle ‘dressed’ correctly conveys that the subject should be in the state of being dressed by the time the other person arrives.
4. Other Examples of ‘Get + Past Participle’
The structure ‘Get + past participle’ is used in various everyday contexts in English. Some common examples include:
- ‘Get fired’ – to lose one’s job
- ‘Get married’ – to enter into marriage
- ‘Get tired’ – to become tired
In all these cases, the past participle follows ‘get’ to indicate a change in state or condition. ‘Get dressed’ follows this same pattern, where ‘dressed’ signifies the state that should be achieved.
5. Conclusion
In summary, ‘Get dressed by the time she comes’ is grammatically correct because it uses the passive form of ‘dress’ (dressed) to describe the intended state of the subject. The phrase ‘by the time she comes’ sets a deadline for when this state should be achieved. This construction is common in English, especially when giving instructions or setting expectations for a change in state.
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