

Modal verb (conjugated) + past participle of main verb + werden (in the infinitive) This is also the case in the passive => the pattern you will see for passive constructions involving modals is: Modal verbs are always used with the infinitive of the verb they accompany.Der Müll ist nach Kanada katapultiert worden.Ĭlick here for the full table and more info on how to form statements in the passive.Der Müll wird nach Kanada katapultiert.Notice how in the following table it is only the forms of werden that change as the tense changes: To change the tense of your passive sentence, change the tense of werden. The passive is formed in German by combining the appropriate conjugated form of werden with the past participle of the main verb.This is also the case in German, but to a lesser extent.Ĭlick here for a slightly more detailed explanation of the uses of the passive In English, writing teachers strongly encourage their students to use the active voice in order for their writing to be more direct, forceful, and readable.You are more likely to see the passive in formal contexts than in informal contexts.Euphemisms of various sorts, such as politicians saying “taxes were raised” instead of “I raised taxes.”.if a crime has been committed but it’s not known who did it Nevertheless, there are some factors that make it more likely for you to see the passive, and these include: Sometimes I get to say that the Lions made the Packers look stupid ( active), but a lot of the time I have to admit that the Lions $%^&* were kicked ( passive). This can happen in any context and at any level of formality: sometimes I want to say that Benz invented the gasoline-powered automobile ( active), sometimes I want to say that the gasoline-powered automobile was invented in 1885 ( passive). The passive is used if the emphasis is on the action being performed rather than on the agent (i.e.Summary of the Uses and Conjugation of “Werden”.Not all Active Statements have a Passive Counterpart.Remember you need a score of at least 80% in order to get a “check” for this assignment. When you are finished, click “Submit” if you are satisfied with your score. Incorrect guesses will reduce your score. THE PROGRAM WILL ONLY CALCULATE YOUR SCORE IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS. IF YOU GET A QUESTION WRONG, KEEP TRYING UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT.
