Question About "story to be told" VS "story to tell"

hirashin

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• 21 May 2021

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Dear native English speakers,
I have a question about the usage of infinitive.

Can both sentences be used? If so, what's the difference?
(a) That is not the kind of story to tell in the presence of ladies.
(b) That is not the kind of story to be told in the presence of ladies.

Hirashin

 

Lothor

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• 21 May 2021

• #2

Both fine.

 

hirashin

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Thanks, Lothor. Is there any difference in nuance?

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

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• 22 May 2021

• #4

hirashin said:

Thanks, Lothor. Is there any difference in nuance?

Click to expand...

I don't think there's much difference in how it would be understood: don't talk like that/tell that [kind of] story in polite company

If anything, the passive voice "to be told" may slightly soften the sentiment by shifting the focus from the doer (person doing the "telling") to the story itself, but practically I think this difference is imperceptible.

 

hirashin

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Thanks for the detailed explanation, nice gaijin san.