This market was finished rebuilding - correct grammar?

Question

On one of the corners of Spitalfields market in London, there's a sign that reads:

"This market was finished rebuilding by R. Homer 1893"

Is this a clumsy sentence? Is it grammatically correct?

Wouldn't

"R. Homer finished rebuilding this market, 1893"

be more correct?

I'm confused by the 'rebuilding' - is it a noun here? Is there some intransitivity in the verb 'finished'?

Barmar · Answer

The original sentence is written in the passive voice. These constructs often sound clumsy compared to active voice, e.g.

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

I think a more correct way to write it, keeping it passive, would be:

This market was finished being rebuilt by R. Homer in 1893.

Ram Pillai · Answer

Rebuilding this market was finished by....(.)

If it should start with 'market',

"This market's rebuilding was finished by...."

2 Answers