Dieses Dokument soll heute noch gelesen werden.

today

Breakdown of Dieses Dokument soll heute noch gelesen werden.

• noch: still
• sollen: should
• dieses: this

Questions & Answers about Dieses Dokument soll heute noch gelesen werden.

What exactly does soll mean here, and why is it used instead of something like muss or wird?

Soll is a modal verb that usually expresses:

• an obligation or task: is supposed to / is to / should
• often based on someone else’s instructions, rules, or plans

In Dieses Dokument soll heute noch gelesen werden the idea is:

• This document is supposed to be read (by someone) today (before the day is over).

Comparisons:

• muss → much stronger, like must / has to

  • Dieses Dokument muss heute noch gelesen werden.
    = There is a strict necessity; not doing it is really not an option.

• wird (in passive) → simple factual statement, no idea of obligation:

  • Dieses Dokument wird heute noch gelesen.
    = This document will (in fact) be read today. (A plan or prediction, not an instruction.)

So soll adds the nuance of a requirement or instruction, but softer than muss and not as purely factual as wird.

What tense and grammatical construction is this?