Breakdown of In de industrie konden zieke arbeiders zomaar worden ontslagen.
in
in
kunnen
can
worden
to become
ziek
sick
Questions & Answers about In de industrie konden zieke arbeiders zomaar worden ontslagen.
How does the passive voice work with a modal verb in this sentence?
This sentence uses the simple past modal konden (could) in the second position. Because it is a passive sentence with a modal verb, the main action is expressed with the infinitive worden (to be) and the past participle ontslagen (fired), both placed at the very end of the clause.
Why is the verb konden placed before the subject zieke arbeiders?
This is an example of inversion. The sentence starts with the prepositional phrase In de industrie. In Dutch, the conjugated verb must always take the second position. Since the first position is taken, the verb konden comes second, pushing the subject zieke arbeiders to the third position.
What does the word zomaar add to the meaning?
Zomaar translates to "just like that", "out of nowhere", or "without good reason". In this context, it emphasizes how easily and arbitrarily sick workers could be fired, without any procedures or protection.
What is the dictionary form of the past participle ontslagen?
The infinitive is ontslaan (to fire or dismiss). It is an irregular verb, which is why its past participle changes the vowel to ontslagen rather than starting with a standard ge- prefix.