Prozesse und Passiv
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 7 shifts the focus from describing things — the precise, relative-clause-rich descriptions you practiced in Chapter 6 — to describing how things are done. Rules, processes, and procedures are everywhere in everyday and institutional German: how a form gets processed, how a package gets delivered, how a rental agreement gets signed. This chapter introduces the present passive with werden as the core tool for describing processes without necessarily naming who performs them, and helps you choose confidently among an active sentence, a sentence with man, and a passive sentence. Julia has now moved into her new apartment, and the group turns to the practical processes that come with settling in: how the internet gets installed, how recycling gets sorted, how a lease gets renewed.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Form and use the present passive with werden to describe processes, rules, and procedures.
- Recognize agent phrases with von and durch in passive sentences.
- Recognize modal passive constructions in reading and listening without independent production.
- Choose appropriately among active voice, man, and passive voice depending on communicative focus.
- Read process descriptions, notices, and instructions and identify passive constructions.
- Write and speak a clear explanation of a familiar process.
Opening Scenario
Julia has settled into the apartment Sophie helped her describe in Chapter 6, but now she has practical questions: how does the recycling get sorted in this building, how does the internet installation get scheduled, and how does a lease get renewed if she decides to stay another year? Markus, who has lived in the building longer, and Anna, who recently went through her own move, help Julia understand the building's and city's procedures. Explaining a process clearly — without necessarily saying who carries it out each time — is exactly what the present passive is for.
- Study the Core Vocabulary and the Grammar section on the present passive.
- Follow the Model Dialogue among Julia, Markus, and Anna.
- Complete the Guided Practice exercises.
- Complete the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing tasks.
- Finish with the Practical Performance Task.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports describing everyday processes, procedures, and rules connected to moving in and settling down.
Prozesse zu Hause
- der Müll, die Mülle — trash, waste (plural rarely used)
- die Mülltrennung, die Mülltrennungen — waste sorting
- der Anschluss, die Anschlüsse — connection, hookup
- der Vertrag, die Verträge — contract
- die Verlängerung, die Verlängerungen — extension, renewal
Verben des Prozesses
- sortieren — to sort
- anschließen — to connect, hook up (separable)
- verlängern — to extend, renew
- abholen — to pick up, collect (separable)
- einreichen — to submit
Regeln und Verfahren
- die Regel, die Regeln — rule
- das Verfahren, die Verfahren — procedure
- die Frist, die Fristen — deadline
- der Termin, die Termine — appointment
Passiv-Signale
- wird ... sortiert — is sorted
- wird ... angeschlossen — is connected/hooked up
- von + Dativ — agent phrase (person)
- durch + Akkusativ — agent phrase (means/cause)
All active nouns above appear with article and plural, as required for productive vocabulary throughout the series.
Grammar: Prozesse und Passiv
The present passive shifts focus away from who performs an action and onto the action itself, or onto what the action happens to. It is formed with the conjugated present-tense form of werden plus the past participle of the main verb, placed at the end of the clause — the same sentence bracket you already know from the perfect tense and modal verbs.
- The thing the process happens to becomes the grammatical subject, in the nominative.
- werden is conjugated for that subject and appears in verb-second position.
- The past participle of the main verb goes to the end of the clause.
Passive voice is common in institutional and procedural German precisely because many rules and processes matter more than who happens to carry them out on a given day.
Forming the Present Passive
| Subject | werden | Participle | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Müll | wird | sortiert | the trash is sorted |
| die Verträge | werden | verlängert | the contracts are renewed |
| das Formular | wird | eingereicht | the form is submitted |
| die Anschlüsse | werden | installiert | the connections are installed |
Compare this bracket to the perfect tense bracket: werden takes the position haben/sein occupies there, and the participle still goes to the end.
Describing Rules and Procedures
- In diesem Gebäude wird der Müll nach Papier, Glas und Restmüll sortiert.In this building, trash is sorted into paper, glass, and general waste.wird ... sortiert = present passive, subject "der Müll"
- Der Vertrag wird automatisch verlängert, wenn niemand kündigt.The contract is automatically renewed if nobody cancels it.
Agent Phrases with von and durch — Receptive
A passive sentence may name who or what performs the action using von (a person or agent, with the dative) or durch (a means or cause, with the accusative). You should recognize these patterns in reading and listening, but at this stage you are not required to produce them independently.
- Der Müll wird von der Stadt jeden Mittwoch abgeholt.The trash is collected by the city every Wednesday.
- Die Verzögerung wurde durch technische Probleme verursacht.The delay was caused by technical problems.
Choosing Active, man, or Passive
All three options can describe the same event, but they shift the focus differently.
| Construction | Example | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Die Hausverwaltung sortiert den Müll. | Names the specific agent directly |
| man | Man sortiert den Müll nach Papier und Glas. | General, unspecified "people/you," spoken register |
| Passive | Der Müll wird nach Papier und Glas sortiert. | Focus on the process itself, agent unspecified or unimportant |
Passive is common in written notices and instructions; man is common in spoken explanations. Avoid overusing passive in every register — much everyday spoken German prefers man or an active sentence.
A modal verb can combine with a passive infinitive to express what must, can, or should be done to something: modal + Partizip + werden, all at the end of the clause. You will meet this pattern in reading texts and notices from this chapter onward, but you are not required to produce it yet.
- Das Formular muss bis Freitag eingereicht werden.The form must be submitted by Friday.
Model Dialogue
Context: Julia asks Markus and Anna about a few practical processes in her new building.
Guided Practice
Übung 1 — Aktiv zu Passiv (Active to Passive)
Rewrite each active sentence in the present passive.
- Die Stadt holt den Müll jeden Mittwoch ab.
- Ein Techniker installiert den Anschluss.
- Die Hausverwaltung verlängert die Verträge automatisch.
- Julia reicht das Formular bis Freitag ein.
Übung 2 — Agens erkennen (Recognizing the Agent — Receptive)
Read each sentence and identify whether the agent phrase uses von or durch, and what it refers to. You do not need to produce these forms yourself yet.
- Der Müll wird von der Stadt abgeholt.
- Die Verzögerung wurde durch technische Probleme verursacht.
- Der Anschluss wurde von einem Techniker installiert.
Übung 3 — Aktiv, man oder Passiv? (Choosing the Right Construction)
Decide which construction best fits each context, and explain your choice in one sentence.
- An official notice on the building's front door about waste sorting rules.
- Explaining casually to a friend how recycling generally works in your city.
- A formal contract clause about lease renewal.
Übung 4 — Modalpassiv erkennen (Recognizing the Modal Passive — Receptive)
Read each sentence and identify the modal verb and the passive infinitive. You do not need to produce this pattern yourself.
- Das Formular muss bis Freitag eingereicht werden.
- Der Vertrag kann jederzeit gekündigt werden.
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen once for the overall content, then again to identify each passive construction.
Kurzbeitrag — Listening Script
In Julias neuem Gebäude wird der Müll streng sortiert: Papier, Glas und Restmüll werden getrennt gesammelt und von der Stadt jeden Mittwoch abgeholt. Der Internetanschluss wird meistens von einem Techniker installiert, und der Termin dafür wird online vereinbart. Der Mietvertrag wird automatisch verlängert, wenn keine Kündigung eingereicht wird. Eine Kündigung muss allerdings bis zu einer festen Frist eingereicht werden, sonst wird der Vertrag für ein weiteres Jahr fortgesetzt.
Verständnisfragen
1. Wie wird der Müll in Julias Gebäude sortiert?
2. Wer installiert normalerweise den Internetanschluss?
3. Was passiert mit dem Mietvertrag, wenn keine Kündigung eingereicht wird?
4. Identify every present-passive verb form in the script and name its subject.
Speaking Practice
Aufgabe: Ein Verfahren erklären
Work with a partner. Explain a familiar process or rule — from your home, workplace, school, or city — using at least two present-passive sentences.
Partner A — Erklären
Explain a process step by step, using the present passive for at least two steps.
- Try including one agent phrase with von or durch.
Partner B — Nachfragen
Ask follow-up questions about who is responsible or what happens if a step is skipped, then explain a different process yourself.
- Decide together whether active, man, or passive fits each moment best.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- At least two accurate present-passive sentences.
- Sensible choice between active, man, and passive for the context.
- Correct verb bracket with werden and the participle in final position.
- Overall intelligibility and natural pacing.
Solo alternative: Record yourself explaining a process, then transcribe and check each passive sentence's word order.
Reading Practice
Hausordnung — Ausschnitt
Der Müll wird in diesem Gebäude nach Papier, Glas, Bioabfall und Restmüll getrennt. Die Tonnen werden von der Stadtreinigung jeden Mittwoch geleert. Reparaturen im Treppenhaus werden von der Hausverwaltung organisiert und in der Regel innerhalb von zwei Wochen durchgeführt. Anfragen müssen schriftlich eingereicht werden und werden innerhalb von fünf Werktagen beantwortet. Eine Kündigung des Mietvertrags muss mindestens drei Monate vor Vertragsende eingereicht werden; andernfalls wird der Vertrag automatisch um ein Jahr verlängert.
Verständnisfragen
1. Wie oft werden die Mülltonnen geleert?
2. Wer organisiert Reparaturen im Treppenhaus?
3. Was passiert, wenn eine Kündigung nicht rechtzeitig eingereicht wird?
4. Find every passive construction in the text, including the modal passive forms, and label each one's subject and, where present, its agent phrase.
Writing Workshop — Ein Verfahren beschreiben
Write a short explanation (120–180 words) of a process or set of rules you know well — for example, how recycling works where you live, how a request gets handled at your workplace, or how a library return process works.
- Introduce the process. State briefly what the process accomplishes.
- Describe the first step. Use a present-passive sentence.
- Describe a second step. Use a present-passive sentence, and try including an agent phrase with von or durch.
- Mention a rule or deadline. Use man or an active sentence if the passive would feel unnatural here.
- Revise using the checklist below.
Checkliste — Editing Checklist:
- At least two accurate present-passive sentences.
- Passive, man, and active are each used where they fit best, not passive everywhere.
- Every passive sentence has werden in second position and the participle at the end.
- Any agent phrase uses von + dative or durch + accusative correctly.
- All nouns are capitalized; umlauts and ß are used correctly.
Culture and Communication
Passive voice appears frequently in German notices, house rules, contracts, and administrative instructions, because these texts often care more about what happens and what is required than about who specifically carries it out on a given occasion. This does not mean German speakers use passive constantly in everyday conversation — spoken German commonly prefers man or an active sentence with a named subject. Recognizing where passive is natural, and where it would sound stiff, is part of developing register awareness.
Waste-sorting categories, collection schedules, and lease-renewal procedures differ between buildings, cities, and countries within the DACH region, and even between individual landlords within the same city. Any specific recycling rules, notice periods, or contract terms used in real communication should be checked against a current, reliable local source rather than assumed from one example.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *Der Müll ist jeden Mittwoch abgeholt.
Correction: The present passive requires werden, not sein: Der Müll wird jeden Mittwoch abgeholt. A form of sein plus participle instead describes a resulting state, which is a different construction not covered at this stage.
Error: *Der Müll wird sortiert jeden Mittwoch.
Correction: The participle belongs at the end of the clause, just as in the perfect tense bracket: Der Müll wird jeden Mittwoch sortiert.
Error: *Die Verzögerung wurde durch dem Techniker verursacht.
Correction: von + dative names a person or agent; durch + accusative names a means or cause: Die Verzögerung wurde durch technische Probleme verursacht. or Der Anschluss wurde von einem Techniker installiert.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 7 shifted from describing things precisely to describing how things are done. You learned to form the present passive with werden, recognize agent phrases with von and durch, and recognize the modal passive in reading and listening. You also practiced choosing among active, man, and passive constructions depending on register and communicative focus. Julia's questions about waste sorting, internet installation, and lease renewal gave you a model for explaining everyday processes and rules clearly.
Practical Performance Task
Kapitel 7 — Praktische Aufgabe
Ein Verfahren erklären — Explaining a Process
Choose a process or set of rules you know well and produce a short spoken and written explanation that uses the present passive appropriately alongside active and man constructions.
1. Einleiten
Introduce the process and what it accomplishes.
2. Beschreiben
Describe at least two steps using the present passive.
3. Ergänzen
Add a rule or deadline, choosing the construction that fits best.
4. Überprüfen
Check the verb bracket and any agent phrases throughout.
Component 1 — Spoken performance: Perform the Speaking Practice task with a partner, or record a solo alternative.
Component 2 — Written performance: Complete the Writing Workshop task.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Passive formation | Correct present-passive verb bracket with werden and final participle |
| Construction choice | Sensible choice among active, man, and passive for context |
| Agent phrases | Correct use of von + dative or durch + accusative where included |
| Process clarity | Steps are clear, logically ordered, and connected |
| Vocabulary use | Accurate use of process and procedure vocabulary with gender and plural |
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Übung 1
- Der Müll wird jeden Mittwoch von der Stadt abgeholt.
- Der Anschluss wird von einem Techniker installiert.
- Die Verträge werden von der Hausverwaltung automatisch verlängert.
- Das Formular wird von Julia bis Freitag eingereicht.
Guided Practice — Übung 2 (Recognition)
- von der Stadt — von + Dativ, agent: the city (a body/institution acting as agent).
- durch technische Probleme — durch + Akkusativ, cause: technical problems.
- von einem Techniker — von + Dativ, agent: a technician.
Guided Practice — Übung 3
1. A formal building notice: passive fits best, since the rule matters more than who wrote or enforces it (e.g., "Der Müll wird nach Papier, Glas und Restmüll sortiert"). 2. A casual explanation to a friend: man fits best for a natural spoken register (e.g., "Man trennt den Müll nach Papier und Glas"). 3. A formal contract clause: passive fits best for institutional, precise wording (e.g., "Der Vertrag wird automatisch verlängert, wenn keine Kündigung eingereicht wird"). Other well-justified answers are acceptable.
Guided Practice — Übung 4 (Recognition)
- Modal verb: muss; passive infinitive: eingereicht werden — "must be submitted."
- Modal verb: kann; passive infinitive: gekündigt werden — "can be canceled."
Listening — Comprehension Questions
- Papier, Glas und Restmüll werden getrennt gesammelt.
- Der Anschluss wird meistens von einem Techniker installiert.
- Der Vertrag wird für ein weiteres Jahr fortgesetzt (automatisch verlängert).
- "werden getrennt gesammelt" (subject: Papier, Glas und Restmüll); "werden ... abgeholt" (subject: sie, referring to the same); "wird ... installiert" (subject: der Internetanschluss); "wird ... vereinbart" (subject: der Termin); "wird ... verlängert" (subject: der Mietvertrag); "wird eingereicht" (subject: keine Kündigung, in the conditional clause); "wird ... fortgesetzt" (subject: der Vertrag).
Reading — Comprehension Questions
- Die Mülltonnen werden jeden Mittwoch geleert.
- Die Hausverwaltung organisiert Reparaturen im Treppenhaus.
- Wenn eine Kündigung nicht rechtzeitig eingereicht wird, wird der Vertrag automatisch um ein Jahr verlängert.
- Passive forms: "wird ... getrennt" (subject: der Müll); "werden ... geleert" (subject: die Tonnen, agent: von der Stadtreinigung); "werden ... organisiert" (subject: Reparaturen, agent: von der Hausverwaltung); "werden ... durchgeführt" (subject: Reparaturen); "müssen ... eingereicht werden" (modal passive, subject: Anfragen); "werden ... beantwortet" (subject: Anfragen); "muss ... eingereicht werden" (modal passive, subject: eine Kündigung); "wird ... verlängert" (subject: der Vertrag).
Speaking, Writing, and Performance Task
Open production. Evaluate using the performance task criteria table above: passive formation, construction choice, agent phrases, process clarity, and vocabulary use. Accept any natural, accurate response that meets these criteria.
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 7 können — What you can do after Chapter 7
You can now form and use the present passive to describe processes and rules, recognize agent phrases with von and durch, recognize the modal passive in context, and choose sensibly among active, man, and passive constructions. This control of process description prepares you for Chapter 8, where you will apply cause-and-effect connectors and comparatives to discuss environmental and scientific everyday topics.