"It was not to be closed" or "It should not have been closed"
I would like to use the phrase "this question should not be closed" to refer to a question that someone closed—but the expression seems defective because it doesn't get at the fact that the closing already occurred.
Must I use
This question was not to be closed
or are there better ways to express the idea, e.g., 'it should not have been closed'?
Please, let explain the difference between the alternative expressions and give the context in which one should be preferred to the other(s).
Solution 1:
The passive voice in the simple present
- This question is closed
- This question isn't closed
- This question should be closed
- This question shouldn't be closed
The passive voice in the present perfect
- This question has been closed
- This question hasn't been closed
- This question should have been closed
- This question shouldn't have been closed
The passive voice in the simple past
- This question was closed
- This question wasn't closed
- *This question should was been closed (NO)
(Note verbs that follow the auxiliary verb should are always in the infinitive. As a result, the example above is not English, it is ungrammatical.) - *This question shouldn't was been closed (NO)
(This passive construction with the auxiliary verb should is not English. It is ungrammatical.)
'be (am/is/are etc.) + infinitive' construct
The OP's original phrase "It was not to be closed" is in the passive voice. The infinitive passive voice is used to express an intention; command or order; destiny; obligation, necessity or sense of duty when making a future arrangement. This type of construct is becoming rare in modern day English but it is still heard.
- I am to be married.
- We are to be married in May
- At what time am I to be there?
- He is to stay here till we return.
- He was never to see his wife and family again
- Normandy was to be invaded on each side.
- Hold your tongue,' said the King, very crossly. 'I intend you to behave prettily to her. So now go and make yourself fit to be seen, as I am going to take you to visit her.
Last example taken from Andrew Lang's, "The Little Good Mouse." The Red Fairy Book, 1890
- This question is to be closed, and that is their final decision.
Future meaning: This question will be closed. This structure implies a powerful volitive act or destiny beyond anyone's control. Nowadays: This question must be closed, and that is their final decision. OR This question is going to be closed...
- This question isn't to be closed, and that is their final decision.
Future meaning: This question will not be closed and nobody can do anything to change that.
Nowadays: This question mustn't be closed,...
- This question was to be closed, but they changed their minds.
The question was going to be closed (see No.1) but its "destiny" was reversed.
Nowadays: This question had to be closed,... OR This question was going to be closed...
- This question wasn't to be closed but they changed their minds.
Future in the past meaning: The question wasn't going to be closed but in the end it was. In other words, its "destiny" was reversed.
Nowadays: This question shouldn't have been closed...
- This question was to have been closed, but I protested and managed to keep it open.
The question was going to be closed but I changed its "destiny". Now the question is open.
- This question wasn't to have been closed, but somebody protested against the decision.
The question was not going to be closed, but somebody wanted to close it. In other words, the question's course was changed and now it is closed.
To be perfectly honest, I had to look up this latter construction in order to analyse it.
I found three sources which were particularly helpful
1) A Semantic Study of ‘Verbs to be’ in Modern Standard English ... by Hussein M. Kadhim Al-Nasrawi
2) A post answering “It is to be discussed”. What is the infinitive doing in this sentence? written recently by @tchrist.
3) Passive infinitive written and compiled by Richard Nordquist on About.com
Solution 2:
This may seem flippant, but:
This question was not to be closed.
= Spoken by Gandalf.
This question shouldn't have been closed.
= Spoken by everybody else.
Solution 3:
"It was not to be closed" should be avoided.
You could use sentences like, "It was closed unjustly" "It was closed in err" or maybe, "It was closed prematurely" There's a thesaurus full of words that you could put in there, whichever you feel most appropriate.
"It was not to be closed" or anything with "was not to" (in this form, followed by as past-tense verb) conveys a different meaning. It means (perhaps idiomatically) that in spite of of great resistance, it remained open. In another context I might write something like,
"My brother chased me through the house, trying to catch me as best he could. I ran into the kitchen and tried to close the door behind me, but try as I might, it was not to be closed. He caught me and pinned me to the ground, as he neatly braided my hair".
A similar use of language might be, "He hit the ball hard, and was not to be denied by the keeper".