Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'
Handelnden (Agent) nennen willst, ist by + Agent dein Freund! Für Klarheit und Zuschreibung von Verantwortung.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'by' in passive sentences to mention who or what performed the action while keeping the focus on the result.
- Place 'by' after the past participle to introduce the doer: 'The song was sung by Adele.'
- Only use 'by' if the person or thing doing the action is important information.
- Don't confuse 'by' (the doer) with 'with' (the tool used): 'The door was opened by John with a key.'
Overview
von einem lokalen Bauern entdeckt“. Dieses kleine Wort by ist ein echter Power-Player im Englischen.by + Agent (Urheber) ins Spiel. Es ist die perfekte Brücke, wenn du das Ergebnis hervorheben willst, aber den Schöpfer erwähnen musst. In diesem Leitfaden lernst du, wie du deine Sätze so ausbalancierst, dass sie natürlich, professionell und anspruchsvoll klingen.How This Grammar Works
von meinem Mitbewohner gegessen“. Der Agent ist einfach die Person oder Sache, die die Handlung ausgeführt hat. Indem du sie nach by ans Ende des Satzes stellst, verschiebst du den Fokus.
Formation Pattern
to be hinzu. Dies ist der Formwandler; es muss der Zeitform deines ursprünglichen Aktivsatzes entsprechen.
taken oder written).
by hinzu.
When To Use It
von Wissenschaftlern entdeckt“, weil das Heilmittel die große Neuigkeit ist!von F. Scott Fitzgerald geschrieben“.von einem Schatten geöffnet“. Das klingt viel gruseliger.von Jim zerbrochen“ fühlt sich weniger aggressiv an als „Jim hat das Glas zerbrochen!“.
Common Mistakes
with anstelle von by. Merke: by ist für die Person (den Agenten) und with ist für das Werkzeug (das Instrument). Du würdest nicht sagen: „Der Brief wurde mit Shakespeare geschrieben“; das klingt, als hättest du seinen Körper als Stift benutzt. Ein weiterer Fehler ist das Vergessen des Verbs to be. „The photo taken by me“ ist nur ein Fragment. Du brauchst „The photo was taken by me“. Achte auch auf Pronomen! Wenn der Agent ein Pronomen ist, muss es in der Objektform stehen. Man kann nicht sagen: „The song was sung by he“. Es muss „by him“ heißen. Zuletzt: Übertreibe es nicht. Wenn der Agent „jemand“ oder „Leute“ ist, lass ihn einfach weg.Contrast With Similar Patterns
by + Agent mit with + Instrument zu verwechseln. Wie erwähnt, antwortet by auf „Wer?“ während with auf „Welches Werkzeug?“ antwortet. Beispiel: „Der Kuchen wurde vom Koch (Agent) mit einem Silbermesser (Instrument) geschnitten“.by + Agent nur hinzu, wenn diese Information einen Mehrwert bietet oder eine notwendige Nennung darstellt.Quick FAQ
F: Muss ich den Agenten immer angeben?
Nein! Nur wenn er interessant, wichtig oder überraschend ist.
F: Kann ich by auch für Dinge verwenden?
Ja! „Die Stadt wurde vom Sturm zerstört“.
F: Ist dieses Muster beim Sprechen oder Schreiben häufiger?
Man sieht es mehr in formellen Texten, aber wir nutzen es auch beim Sprechen zur Betonung.
Passive Voice with 'By' Across Tenses
| Tense | Subject | Verb 'Be' | Past Participle | By + Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
The reports
|
are
|
written
|
by the staff.
|
|
Past Simple
|
The report
|
was
|
written
|
by the manager.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
The report
|
is being
|
written
|
by the intern.
|
|
Past Continuous
|
The report
|
was being
|
written
|
by Sarah.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
The report
|
has been
|
written
|
by the team.
|
|
Future (Will)
|
The report
|
will be
|
written
|
by the director.
|
|
Modals
|
The report
|
must be
|
written
|
by you.
|
Meanings
The passive voice with 'by' is used to identify the 'agent' (the person or thing that performs the action) when the sentence structure is passive. It allows the speaker to emphasize the receiver of the action while still providing credit or responsibility to the doer.
Artistic & Intellectual Credit
Used to attribute books, paintings, songs, or inventions to their creators.
“This novel was written by George Orwell.”
“The symphony was composed by Beethoven.”
Official & Legal Responsibility
Used in news or legal documents to state who performed an official action.
“The law was passed by the parliament.”
“The decision was made by the CEO.”
Unexpected Agents
Used when the doer of the action is surprising or particularly noteworthy.
“The window was broken by a falling branch.”
“The cake was eaten by the dog!”
Reference Table
| Struktur | Beispiel | Bedeutung | Wann du es nutzt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aktiv
|
Sarah wrote the report.
|
Sarah (der Handelnde) hat die Aktion gemacht.
|
Fokus auf dem Handelnden.
|
|
Passiv (ohne Agent)
|
The report was written.
|
Der Bericht (der Empfänger) hat die Aktion empfangen.
|
Handelnder unbekannt/unwichtig.
|
|
Passiv (mit 'by')
|
The report was written by Sarah.
|
Der Bericht (der Empfänger) hat die Aktion empfangen, Sarah ist der Handelnde.
|
Handelnder ist wichtig/bekommt Anerkennung.
|
|
Passiv Präsens (Simple Present)
|
The coffee is brewed by her.
|
Sie brüht den Kaffee.
|
Regelmäßige Aktionen, Anerkennung.
|
|
Passiv Präteritum (Simple Past)
|
The song was sung by him.
|
Er sang das Lied.
|
Vergangene Aktionen, Anerkennung/Identifizierung.
|
|
Passiv Futur (Simple Future)
|
The project will be managed by them.
|
Sie werden das Projekt managen.
|
Zukunftsplanung, Aufgabenzuweisung.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
The manuscript was authored by an unknown scholar. (Literature)
The book was written by a local author. (Literature)
It was written by some guy I know. (Literature)
This was penned by my homie. (Literature)
Passiv mit 'By' Konzeptkarte
Struktur
- Subject + Be + V3 + by + Agent Bildung
- Be (konjugiert) Hilfsverb
- Past Participle (V3) Form des Hauptverbs
Wann verwenden?
- Anerkennung/Schuld zuweisen Verantwortung zuweisen
- Wichtiger/Unerwarteter Handelnder Handelnden hervorheben
- Formelle Kontexte Objektiver Ton
- Klarheit Mehrdeutigkeit beseitigen
Wichtige Unterschiede
- By (Handelnder) Wer oder was die Aktion ausführt
- With (Instrument) Werkzeug, das für die Aktion verwendet wird
- 'by' weglassen, wenn unwichtig Kein Handelnder nötig
Beispiele
- was written by Sarah Anerkennung für das Schreiben
- is designed by Apple Firma als Handelnder
- will be delivered by drone Methode/Handelnder
'By' vs. 'With' im Passiv
Soll ich 'By + Agent' verwenden?
Ist der Satz passiv?
Ist der Handelnde (Ausführende) bekannt oder wichtig?
Ist der 'Agent' eigentlich ein Werkzeug/Instrument?
Handelnde in Passivsätzen
Personen
- • The book was read by a student.
- • The meal was prepared by the chef.
Organisationen
- • The car was manufactured by Tesla.
- • The software was developed by Google.
Tiere
- • The food was eaten by the dog.
- • The sheep were herded by the dog.
Kräfte/Ursachen
- • The tree was struck by lightning.
- • The bridge was damaged by the earthquake.
Beispiele nach Niveau
The book was written by him.
El libro fue escrito por él.
The cake was made by my dad.
El pastel fue hecho por mi papá.
The car was washed by Sam.
El coche fue lavado por Sam.
The photo was taken by her.
La foto fue tomada por ella.
The window was broken by a ball.
La ventana fue rota por una pelota.
The songs were sung by a famous choir.
Las canciones fueron cantadas por un coro famoso.
The house was built by my grandfather in 1950.
La casa fue construida por mi abuelo en 1950.
The emails were sent by the secretary.
Los correos fueron enviados por la secretaria.
The new law was signed by the President yesterday.
La nueva ley fue firmada por el Presidente ayer.
The bridge was designed by a French architect.
El puente fue diseñado por un arquitecto francés.
The missing child was found by a local hiker.
El niño desaparecido fue encontrado por un excursionista local.
The dinner was prepared by a professional chef.
La cena fue preparada por un chef profesional.
The experiment was conducted by a team of researchers from Oxford.
El experimento fue realizado por un equipo de investigadores de Oxford.
The company was founded by two brothers in their garage.
La empresa fue fundada por dos hermanos en su garaje.
The mural was painted by an anonymous artist overnight.
El mural fue pintado por un artista anónimo durante la noche.
The decision was heavily criticized by the local media.
La decisión fue fuertemente criticada por los medios locales.
The initiative was spearheaded by a coalition of environmental NGOs.
La iniciativa fue encabezada por una coalición de ONGs ambientales.
The manuscript was discovered by chance by a young librarian.
El manuscrito fue descubierto por casualidad por un joven bibliotecario.
The city's infrastructure was severely damaged by the hurricane.
La infraestructura de la ciudad fue gravemente dañada por el huracán.
The role was originally intended to be played by a younger actor.
El papel estaba originalmente destinado a ser interpretado por un actor más joven.
The silence was eventually broken by the rhythmic ticking of the clock.
El silencio fue finalmente roto por el tictac rítmico del reloj.
The policy was implemented by the government in the face of mounting public pressure.
La política fue implementada por el gobierno ante la creciente presión pública.
The intricate patterns were woven by hand by artisans in the remote village.
Los intrincados patrones fueron tejidos a mano por artesanos en la remota aldea.
The verdict was reached by the jury after three days of deliberation.
El veredicto fue alcanzado por el jurado tras tres días de deliberación.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners use 'by' for tools and 'with' for people.
In many languages, the word for 'from' is used for the passive agent.
Learners say 'He is known by everyone.'
Häufige Fehler
The book was written from Mark.
The book was written by Mark.
The cake was make by Mom.
The cake was made by Mom.
The car was wash by Sam.
The car was washed by Sam.
It was by him written.
It was written by him.
The window was broken by a hammer.
The window was broken with a hammer.
The song was sang by her.
The song was sung by her.
The letter was by me sent.
The letter was sent by me.
The house was built of my father.
The house was built by my father.
The decision was made by the meeting.
The decision was made at the meeting.
He was known by everyone.
He was known to everyone.
The room was filled by smoke.
The room was filled with smoke.
Satzmuster
The ___ was ___ by ___.
Has the ___ been ___ by ___ yet?
The ___ is being ___ by ___ right now.
It is believed that the ___ was ___ by ___.
Real World Usage
This sculpture was created by a local artist.
The bank was robbed by three masked men.
Photo by @TravelGuru.
The project was managed by me and two colleagues.
The pyramids were built by thousands of workers.
Your ticket is being handled by our senior engineer.
Der Handelnde zählt!
The project was finished by the team.
By vs. With – Verwechsle nicht!
The cake was baked by my mom with love.
Bleib beim Fokus!
The decision was made by the committee.
Formell oder locker?
The law was passed by the parliament.
Pronomen-Check!
The email was sent by him.
Smart Tips
Always use 'by' to credit the creator. It's the most natural way to speak in English.
Pause and check if you should use 'with' instead of 'by'.
Put it at the end of the sentence with 'by' to make the sentence easier to read.
Ask yourself: 'Is it important to know who did this?' If no, delete the 'by' phrase.
Aussprache
The 'By' Connection
The word 'by' is usually unstressed. It sounds like /baɪ/ but is said very quickly, linking the verb to the agent.
End-Focus
The book was written by SHAKESPEARE. ↘
The stress often falls on the agent at the end of the sentence because it is the new information.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
B.Y. stands for 'Behold the Yesterday-doer' — it brings the person from the past action back to the end of the sentence.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a movie poster where the title is huge at the top (the Object), and the director's name is in small letters at the bottom after the word 'By'. The focus is the movie, but the credit is at the end.
Rhyme
When the action is done and the object is first, use 'by' for the person or the bubble will burst!
Story
A famous painting was stolen from a museum. The news said 'The painting was taken' (Passive). Everyone asked 'Who?'. The news updated: 'The painting was taken BY a clever thief.' The 'by' solved the mystery.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room. Find three items and say who they were made or bought by. (e.g., 'This lamp was bought by my sister.')
Kulturelle Hinweise
In Western academic writing, the passive with 'by' is used to show objectivity. However, modern styles (like APA) now encourage the active voice ('We found that...') to be more direct.
The BBC and other UK news outlets frequently use the passive with 'by' to report crimes or official statements to avoid sounding biased.
In galleries worldwide, 'by' is the standard way to attribute work. You will almost never see 'from' or 'of' on a painting's label.
The use of 'by' to indicate an agent comes from Old English 'be', which originally meant 'near' or 'at'. Over time, it evolved to mean 'through the agency of'.
Gesprächseinstiege
What is your favorite book, and who was it written by?
Think of a famous invention. Who was it invented by?
Was your house built by a company or an individual?
If your life were a movie, who would it be directed by?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.
Find and fix the mistake:
The delicious pizza was eaten with my brother.
Wähle den korrekten Satz:
Translate into English: 'La presentación fue dada por la profesora.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesThe letter was written ___ a fountain pen ___ my grandfather.
Which sentence correctly gives credit to the artist?
Find and fix the mistake:
The cake was eaten from the dog.
Active: 'Steve Jobs founded Apple.'
Match the following:
broken / by / was / window / the / him
You must always use 'by' in every passive sentence.
A: Who fixed your computer? B: It ___ by my brother.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
14 exercisesThis famous cathedral ___ built ___ hundreds of workers.
The delicious cake was baked by a special recipe.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'El problema fue resuelto por mi colega.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentences:
The decision has already ___ made ___ the committee.
The new rules was announced by the principal.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'El trabajo de casa fue terminado por todos los estudiantes.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the fragments:
Many classic novels ___ still read ___ students today.
The new software is being developed by a small team of engineers now.
Score: /14
FAQ (8)
Don't use `by` if the agent is obvious (e.g., 'He was arrested'), unknown (e.g., 'My bike was stolen'), or unimportant (e.g., 'The road was paved').
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, we use the specific noun or a person's name. 'The window was broken by it' is grammatically correct but 'The window was broken by the wind' is better.
The passive voice itself is often formal, but adding `by` is just a way to provide information. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Use `by` for the person or force that does the action. Use `with` for the tool or object used to do it. 'The tree was cut by the lumberjack with an axe.'
Absolutely. 'The office is cleaned by a professional crew every night.'
In creative writing, 'by' can make sentences feel long and slow. However, in academic and technical writing, it is essential for accuracy.
Yes. 'He got caught by the police.' This is more informal than 'He was caught by the police.'
Usually, yes. However, you can add time phrases after it: 'The book was written by him in 1990.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
por
Spanish speakers might confuse 'by' with 'for' because 'por' can mean both.
par
French sometimes uses 'de' for states (e.g., 'aimé de tous'), whereas English usually sticks to 'by' or 'to'.
von
German word order is much more flexible, often placing the 'von' phrase before the verb.
ni / ni yotte
Japanese passives often imply that the subject is 'adversely affected' by the action, which English doesn't necessarily do.
min qibal
In Arabic, it is often considered stylistically better to avoid mentioning the agent in a passive sentence.
bèi
In Chinese, the 'bèi' structure is traditionally used for negative or unpleasant events, though this is changing in modern usage.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Verwandte Videos
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