Vergelijkbare projecten worden in andere steden uitgevoerd.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Dutch now

Questions & Answers about Vergelijkbare projecten worden in andere steden uitgevoerd.

Why is worden used in this sentence and how do you form the passive in Dutch?

Dutch uses the verb worden + past participle to make a present‐tense passive. Here Vergelijkbare projecten is the subject, worden is the finite verb (3rd person plural present of worden), and uitgevoerd is the past participle of uitvoeren.
Structure:

  1. Subject
  2. Conjugated worden in V2 position
  3. (Optional) adverbials
  4. Past participle at the end

Example: Projecten worden uitgevoerd.

Why is uitgevoerd placed at the very end of the sentence?
In Dutch main clauses with two verbs (auxiliary + participle), the auxiliary (worden) sits in the second slot (V2), and the past participle (uitgevoerd) is “pushed” to the final position. Any adverbials (like in andere steden) go between those two verbs.
Why does in andere steden come between worden and uitgevoerd?

Dutch word order rules place the finite verb in slot 2, then any adverbials (time, manner, place) follow, and finally non‐finite verbs or participles. So:

  1. Vergelijkbare projecten (subject)
  2. worden (finite verb)
  3. in andere steden (place adverbial)
  4. uitgevoerd (past participle)
Could I also say Vergelijkbare projecten worden uitgevoerd in andere steden?
Yes. In a passive main clause you can put the participle before or after the place adverbial. Placing uitgevoerd earlier slightly shifts emphasis but both orders are grammatically correct.
Why is there no article before Vergelijkbare projecten?
In Dutch, indefinite plural nouns usually appear without an article. You’re speaking generally about “similar projects” in any city, not specific ones, so you leave out de.
Why does vergelijkbare end with -e?

Attributive adjectives in Dutch take -e when they modify:
• A definite noun (with de/het)
• Any plural noun (definite or indefinite)
Since projecten is plural, the adjective is vergelijkbare (not vergelijkbaar).

What does uitgevoerd mean here?
Uitgevoerd is the past participle of the separable verb uitvoeren, meaning to carry out, to execute, or to implement. So worden uitgevoerd = are carried out.
Could I express this idea in the active voice?

Yes. You might say:
Men voert vergelijkbare projecten in andere steden uit.
Here men (‘one/people’) is the subject, voert uit is the separable verb uitvoeren, and in andere steden is the place adverbial. The passive is more formal and de‐emphasizes the doer.

What’s the difference between using worden and zijn in a Dutch passive?

Worden + participle = action/process (the projects are being carried out / happen regularly).
Zijn + participle = state/result (the projects have been carried out / are in a completed state).
Example:
De muur wordt geschilderd. (the wall is being painted)
De muur is geschilderd. (the wall is painted / has been painted)

Where does the ge- go in the past participle of a separable verb like uitvoeren?
For separable verbs, you insert ge- between the prefix and the stem. So uitvoeren → prefix uit + ge + stem voer + d = uitgevoerd. You do not write geuitgevoerd or duplicate ge.