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."
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It's usually a To Do list, not To Be Done, but TBA = To Be Announced, not To Announce. Go figure.– FumbleFingersCommented Jun 26, 2020 at 11:17
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1Does this answer your question? 'took several years to be built' or 'took several years to build' – which one is correct?– Edwin AshworthCommented Jun 26, 2020 at 11:40
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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 LicksCommented Jun 26, 2020 at 12:12
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