I came across this sentence in my textbook:

> 便利になったとはいえ、問題も **残されている** 。

I notice that the sentence use passive voice of "残す". Is there any reason why
it doesn't use active form as follows?

> 便利になったとはいえ、問題も **残している** 。

Thanks in advance
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2020-05-30T16:10:00.540
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2020-06-01T02:43:02.090
2020-05-31T12:50:28.627
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question
grammar
Why use 受身形 in "便利になったとはいえ、問題も残されて"?
First, let's check the basic difference of the following:

  * 残る is **intransitive**. "to remain/stay"
  * 残す is **transitive**. "to leave [something]"
  * 残される is **the passive-form of 残す**. "to be left".

A 問題 is something that can remain, stay or be left, but we are not talking
about a 問題 which is leaving something else. Therefore 問題 **が** 残して(いる) is
wrong. 問題 **も** 残している may not be wrong because this も may have replaced を
instead of が, but it depends on the context.

  1. 問題 **が** 残っている = 問題 **が** 残されている = There is a remaining problem.
  2. 問題 **も** 残っている = 問題 **も** 残されている = There is also a remaining problem.
  3. 問題 **を** 残している = [Someone] has left a problem.
  4. 問題 **が** 残している (wrong; "a problem left something"?)
  5. 問題 **も** 残している = [Someone] has also left a problem.

Practically, we don't say 3 or 5 that commonly unless you are intentionally
focusing on the person who left the problem.

When the subject is an inanimate object like 問題, 残っている and 残されている are
interchangeable. When the subject is a human, 残っている sounds like they stayed
intentionally, whereas 残されている sounds like they were left against their will.
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2020-05-31T00:42:29.523
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2020-06-01T02:43:02.090
2020-06-01T02:43:02.090
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answer