18503
I think that these sentences might have similar meanings:

>   1. 犬{いぬ}についての記事{きじ}が朝日{あさひ}新聞{しんぶん}に書いてあります。
>   2. 犬についての記事が朝日新聞に書かれています。
>

I think that the direct translations are:

>   1. There is an article about dogs that is written in the Asahi Shinbun
> (there is no chance to specify the author).
>   2. An article about dogs has been written in the Asahi Sinbun (it is
> possible to mention the author).
>

Does each at least have correct grammar?  
What is the nuanced difference?  
What criteria are used to decide which to say?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-28T12:27:33.000
18473
2016-12-23T19:52:53.930
2014-08-29T03:21:10.533
4835
question
word-choice
meanings of 「書{か}いてある」 and 「書かれている」
Your implications are the opposite. Passive in 2. is a common strategy to
avoid mentioning the subject. 1. is at least not passive in the normal sense.
You can have an explicit subject in 1 if you change the 記事が to 記事をwithout
changing the verb form.

I don't see any basis in using "there is ..." versus "an article is ..." to
express 1 versus 2.

The original sentences are both correct.
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2014-08-28T12:31:53.790
18474
2014-08-28T12:37:21.440
2014-08-28T12:37:21.440
18473
answer
Both are grammatically correct and they both mean "An article about dogs has
been written in the Asahi Sinbun" though the former can't specify who wrote it
as you say. The former (書いてある version) seems to apear often in everyday
conversation.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-31T04:35:06.873
18503
2014-08-31T04:35:06.873
4092
18473
answer