Passive Voice (Lijdende Vorm) - All Tenses and Modals (B2)

While B1 introduces the basic present and past passives with worden and zijn, B2 level proficiency requires understanding and using the passive voice across all tenses and in combination with modal verbs.

Review of Basic Formation (B1):

• Passive uses auxiliary worden (process) or zijn (result) + Past Participle.
• Agent (doer) can be added with door.
• Tenses covered in B1: Present Passive, Imperfect Passive, Perfect Passive, Past Perfect Passive.

Passive Voice in Other Tenses (B2 Focus):

1. Future Passive (with zullen): Expresses that something will be done in the future.

• Formation: zullen (conjugated) + Past Participle + worden (infinitive).
• Structure (Main Clause): Subject + zullen (conjugated) + ... + Past Participle + worden.
• Example: Het rapport zal morgen geschreven worden. (The report will be written tomorrow.)
• Example: De nieuwe regels zullen volgende maand ingevoerd worden. (The new rules will be introduced next month.)

1. Future Perfect Passive (with zullen): Expresses that something will have been done by a certain point in the future.

• Formation: zullen (conjugated) + Past Participle + zijn (infinitive).
• Structure (Main Clause): Subject + zullen (conjugated) + ... + Past Participle + zijn.
• Example: Het huis zal volgende week verkocht zijn. (The house will have been sold by next week.)
• Example: Alle taken zullen tegen vrijdag afgerond zijn. (All tasks will have been completed by Friday.)

1. Conditional Passive (with zouden): Expresses that something would be done under certain conditions.

• Formation: zouden (conjugated) + Past Participle + worden (infinitive).
• Structure (Main Clause): Subject + zouden (conjugated) + ... + Past Participle + worden.
• Example: Als er meer geld was, zou het project gestart worden. (If there were more money, the project would be started.)

1. Conditional Perfect Passive (with zouden): Expresses that something would have been done in the past under different circumstances.

• Formation: zouden (conjugated) + Past Participle + zijn (infinitive).
• Structure (Main Clause): Subject + zouden (conjugated) + ... + Past Participle + zijn.
• Example: Als hij gewaarschuwd was, zou het ongeluk voorkomen zijn. (If he had been warned, the accident would have been prevented.)

Passive Voice with Modal Verbs (Modal Passives) (B2 Focus):

Combines a modal verb (expressing ability, permission, obligation, etc.) with the passive voice.

• Present Modal Passive:
• Formation: Modal Verb (conjugated present) + Past Participle + worden (infinitive).
• Structure: Subject + Modal Verb (conj.) + ... + Past Participle + worden.
• Example (kunnen): Het probleem kan opgelost worden. (The problem can be solved.)
• Example (moeten): Deze brief moet vandaag verstuurd worden. (This letter must be sent today.)
• Example (mogen): Hier mag niet gerookt worden. (Smoking is not allowed here.)

• Past Modal Passive (Perfect Tense Form): Expresses modality about a past passive event.
• Formation: Modal Verb (conjugated perfect tense - hebben+modal participle) + Past Participle + worden.
• Note: This structure exists but is often replaced by a perfect modal passive (see below) or an active sentence for simplicity.
• Example (Theoretical): Hij heeft het moeten doen. (active) -> Het heeft gedaan moeten worden. (passive - complex/rare)
• More Common: Perfect Modal Passive (Result/State): Uses zijn + past participle, implying a state resulting from a modal action.
• Formation: Modal Verb (conjugated perfect) + Past Participle + zijn.
• Example: Het probleem heeft opgelost kunnen worden. (The problem could have been solved - focuses on the possibility)
• Example: De brief had gisteren verstuurd moeten zijn. (The letter should have been sent yesterday - focuses on the obligation/state)

Key Takeaways for B2:

• Recognize and form passive structures in all major tenses, including future and conditional.
• Form and understand passive constructions combined with common modal verbs (kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen).
• Pay attention to the correct auxiliary (worden for process/action, zijn for result/state, including in future/conditional perfects and some modal contexts).
• Use the passive voice appropriately to shift focus away from the agent, especially in more formal or objective writing.