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> Isn't 'friended' in this context passive voice rather than past tense?
> and isn't that how most passive voice constructions work? as in, He
> friended me, and I was friended by him...He offended me and I was
> offended by him...
No, "friended" is the past participle of "to friend" (I still shudder a little at that verbification). The past participle is often used in passive voice constructions.
What distinguishes passive voice is that the subject is recipient of the action instead of the actor. It's usually (always?) formed by combining some form of the verb "to be" with the past participle.
But the past participle can be used in active voice too.
Passive voice: He was friended by John.
Active voice: He has friended John.
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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