Документы проверяются менеджером перед подписанием.

before

Breakdown of Документы проверяются менеджером перед подписанием.

• документ: the document
• проверяться: to be checked
• менеджер: the manager

Questions & Answers about Документы проверяются менеджером перед подписанием.

Why is the sentence in the passive voice and how do you form passive constructions like this in Russian?

Russian often creates the passive with the suffix -ся attached to a transitive verb. Here, проверяются is formed from the imperfective verb проверять + -ся, giving “are being checked” or “get checked.” In passive constructions:

• The thing acted upon (документы) becomes the subject (nominative).
• The doer (менеджер) turns into an agent marked by the instrumental case.

What exactly does the suffix -ся do in проверяются?

The suffix -ся can mark reflexive, reciprocal, or passive meanings. In проверяются, it signals a passive meaning: “the documents are checked” without focusing on who does it. This is sometimes called the “passive voice with -ся.”

Why is менеджером in the instrumental case and without any preposition?

In Russian passive constructions formed with -ся, the agent (the one who performs the action) is expressed in the instrumental case with no preposition. So менеджером literally means “by (the) manager.”

Why are документы in the nominative case rather than accusative?