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Grammar Notes - Passive Voice

 

How to form the Passive

Both English and German form the Passive with a Modal Verb + Past Participle. In German, the Past Participle goes to the end of the Clause.

 

Present Tense

English uses Present Tense of to be + Past Participle.

German uses Present Tense of werden + Past Participle.

 

Look at these examples and note the position of the Past Participle:

They are cleaned daily Die werden täglich geputzt
The economy is hardly controlled

Die Wirtschaft wird kaum geregelt
They play piano there till midnight Dort wird bis Mitternacht Klavier gespielt

 

To avoid the Passive in German, use: man

 

They play piano there till midnight Dort spielt man bis Mitternacht Klavier
More should be done for the environment Man sollte mehr für die Umwelt tun

 

Expressing Continuity

English Passive Voice uses the Present Tense of to be + being + Past Participle when something is:

  • being done now;
  • intended/about to be done.

This form of the Verb is called the Passive Continuous Form.

German does not have a Continuous Form. To express continuity in the Passive Voice, just use the appropriate tense of werden + Past Participle - perhaps with a qualifying expression such as am laufenden Band (= continually).

Consider these examples and note the position of the Past Participle:

 

Being done now:

Building plans are continually being approved Baupläne werden am laufenden Band genehmigt
Dinner is just being served Das Abendessen wird gerade serviert

 

 

Intended/about to be done:

The parts are being sent off by courier

 Die Teile werden per Kurier losgeschickt

 

Test yourself!

Try the following:

  1. Study the explanations and examples.
  2. Print out the table for the grammar point you are working on and fold it into 2 vertically. You will then be able to check your recall of the English and German examples by folding and unfolding the paper.

Created for ULTRALAB trial June 1999
Copyright ULTRALAB at Anglia Polytechnic University