Voice of the verb 'cancel' [closed]
Voice of the verb cancel
The sentence below comes from More Word Smart:
We’d better hire some extra security for the concert; it’s going to be teeming with hopped-up kids, and they’ll be furious when they find out that the main act canceled last night.
In this sentence the verb cancel seems a bit awkward in terms of voice. To my sense of English grammar canceled would be a lot better if it were to be replaced with was canceled.
And the dictionary check-up proves my theory, that is, the verb cancel almost always used as transitive verb except used in a very limited sense, as in, two opposing forces that canceled out.
Do you agree with me?
"the main act was cancelled" and "the main act cancelled" have a different meaning.
If someone says "The main act was cancelled last night", then "the main act" refers to the final part of the show/event and we don't know why it was cancelled.
On the other hand, with "The main act cancelled last night", then "the main act" refers to the headlining performers, rather than the final stage of the event, and we know that it was cancelled because the headlining performers cancelled it.
Eg, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/dec/04/liam-clancy-dies-obituary
Their appearance on the television programme, in early 1961, when their two-song slot was extended to 15 minutes after the main act cancelled, made them famous.
Your confusion is understandable, but doesn't stem from the verb.
The verb cancel is indeed used in the active voice, and it is used correctly.
The action was performed by the subject that is mentioned in the sentence, that is, the main act.
In this case, the main act refers to whoever was booked to perform, be it the artist, the orchestra, whatever.
If the main act was canceled, someone else did the cancellation: the venue could have canceled the act, the management could have canceled the act. But in this case, the act themselves canceld the concert. So simply said, the artist called and said they would't be there.