Given that "complete" is a transitive verb meaning "to finish doing or making something," why is it "to complete" rather than "to be completed" in the following example from a dictionary?
"The building took two years to complete."
Asked
Active
Viewed 136 times
0
-
It's usually a *To Do* list, not *To Be Done, but TBA = To Be Announced, not To Announce*. Go figure. – FumbleFingers Jun 26 '20 at 11:17
-
1Does this answer your question? 'took several years to be built' or 'took several years to build' – which one is correct? – Edwin Ashworth Jun 26 '20 at 11:40
-
1Both are valid. "To be completed" distances the builder to a degree, and might be more appropriate where the building (or perhaps pyramid or aqueduct) went through several owners/builders in the process. – Hot Licks Jun 26 '20 at 12:12