La scheda deve essere consegnata prima della scadenza prevista.

The form must be submitted before the scheduled deadline.

Breakdown of La scheda deve essere consegnata prima della scadenza prevista.

• essere: to be
• di: of
• prima: before
• dovere: to have to

Questions & Answers about La scheda deve essere consegnata prima della scadenza prevista.

What is the grammatical structure of deve essere consegnata in this sentence?

Deve essere consegnata is a modal construction combined with the passive voice. Deve is the modal verb meaning “must” or “has to,” essere functions as the auxiliary needed to form the passive, and consegnata is the past participle. Note that consegnata agrees in gender (feminine) and number (singular) with the subject la scheda.

Why does the past participle appear as consegnata instead of consegnato?

The past participle must agree with the subject in both gender and number. Since la scheda is a feminine singular noun, the participle takes the feminine form consegnata. This is a common agreement rule in Italian, particularly in passive constructions.

How does the phrase prima della scadenza prevista function in the sentence?

The phrase prima della scadenza prevista acts as an adverbial phrase indicating a time limit. Prima di means “before,” la scadenza translates to “the deadline,” and prevista means “expected” or “scheduled.” Together, they specify that the form must be submitted before the stated deadline.

What does the passive construction imply about who is responsible for submitting the form?