Grammar Index | Passive Quiz | Courses | Norwegian Department | St. Olaf College

Basic Rules --- Verbs: Passive Voice

Description

The passive voice is used when we wish to emphasize the object of an action, or the result of an action, rather than who is doing it. Often it is either unimportant who the actor is, we wish to conceal the actor's identity, or the actor's identity is unknown.

Active Voice:
Jeg vasket bilen (I washed the car).
Jeg bruker studiekortet som legitimasjon. (I use my student card as identification.

Passive Voice:
Bilen ble vasket av meg (The car was washed by me).
Studiekortet brukes som legitimasjon (The student card is used as identification.)

Basic Rules

  1. The passive voice is formed by using the helping verb "bli" + the perfect participle. The past participle remains constant while "bli" appears in different tenses.
  2. The passive voice can also be formed by adding an -s to the infinitive of the verb. This s-passive is commonly used after the modal helping verbs (skal, kan, må, bør).

Chart of Passive Verbs ("bli" + participle)

Future Tense

Present Tense

Past Tense

Present Perfect

Brevet vil bli skrevet.
(The letter will be written.)

Brevet blir skrevet.
(The letter is being written.)

Brevet ble skrevet
(The letter was written.)

Brevet har blitt skrevet.
(The letter has been written.)

Filmen vil bli vist.
(The film will be shown.)

Filmen blir vist.
(The film is being shown.)

Filmen ble vist
(The film was shown.)

Filmen har blitt vist.
(The film has been shown.)

Bilen vil bli vasket.
(The car will be washed.)

Bilen blir vasket.
(The car is being washed.)

Bilen ble vasket.
(The car was washed.)

Bilen har blitt vasket.
(The car has been washed.)

Jobben vil bli gjort.
(The job will be done.)

Jobben blir gjort.
(The job is being done.)

Jobben ble gjort.
(The job was done.)

Jobben har blitt gjort.
(The job has been done.)

Chart of Passive Verbs (s- passive)

S-Passives with Modal Helping Verbs

Present Tense

Tekstboka kan bestilles i bokhandelen.
(The textbook can be ordered in the bookstore.)

Tekstboka bestilles i bokhandelen.
(The textbook is ordered in the bookstore.)

Hjemmeleksene må gjøres i dag.
(The homework must be done today.)

Hjemmeleksene gjøres i dag.
(The homework is being done today.)

Klærne skal vaskes i morgen.
(The clothes are going to be washed tomorrow.)

Klærne vaskes i dag.
(The clothes are being washed today.)

Middagen bør serveres klokka fem.
(The dinner ought to be served at five o'clock.)

Middagen serveres klokka fem.
(The dinner is served at five o'clock.)

Quiz of Passive Verbs


If you have questions or comments, please send e-mail to Nancy Aarsvold
Last updated on November 9, 1996

Grammar Index | Passive Quiz | Courses | Norwegian Department | St. Olaf College