Breakdown of Als de machine niet kon worden bediend, werd de arbeider ontslagen.
niet
not
kunnen
can
worden
to become
als
if / when (condition)
de machine
the machine
de arbeider
the worker
bedienen
to operate
ontslaan
to fire / to discharge (from hospital)
Questions & Answers about Als de machine niet kon worden bediend, werd de arbeider ontslagen.
How does the past passive with a modal verb work in kon worden bediend?
Kon is the simple past of the modal verb kunnen (could). To make it passive, we add the infinitive worden (to be) and the past participle bediend (operated). Together, kon worden bediend means "could be operated".
Why is the second passive construction (werd ... ontslagen) formed differently than the first?
The second clause is a standard simple past passive, which only requires the past tense of worden (werd) and a past participle (ontslagen). The first clause needs the extra infinitive worden because the modal verb kon (could) pushes the passive helping verb into its dictionary form.
Why are the three verbs grouped together at the end of the first clause (kon worden bediend)?
The word als (if) introduces a subordinate clause, which pushes all verbs to the end. When you have a cluster of verbs like this, they commonly follow the order of the modal verb (kon), then the auxiliary (worden), and finally the past participle (bediend).
Why does the second half of the sentence start with the verb werd?
This is due to the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire first clause (Als de machine niet kon worden bediend) acts as the first grammatical block of the whole sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, the main clause must start with its verb (werd), followed immediately by the subject (de arbeider).
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