Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/134

120 class are also counted many of the above mentioned reciprocal verbs, form a deponent participle; Ex. det har lykkedes (also lykkets, lyktes) mig I have succeeded in; jeg har længtes I have been longing. But this form is not very much in use and is generally avoided, whenever possible.

233. The two passive forms may in some instances be used promiscuously. But the form in -s is much more common than the other one, especially in the present tense and the infinitive (after the verbs skal, maa, bör etc.) The imperfect of the compound form occurs much more frequently than the present.

The compound form (blive rost to be praised) signifies the complete passivity, where all action on the part of the subject is wholly excluded, hence it is used to denote the single recorded fact, while the form in -s is used to denote a common condition or general rule.

The imperfect in -s is not used of strong verbs with radical vowel a in imperf. followed by two or more consonants: (not sanges but) blev sungen was sung; (not tvanges but) blev tvungen was forced; (not drakkes but) blev drukket was drunk; (not stjales but) blev stjaalen was stolen; note: fandtes existed, but blev funden was found; gaves existed, but blev given was given.

In the future passive the form jeg vil roses cannot be used except to denote: I wish to be praised. The simple future is either: jeg skal roses or jeg skal or vil blive rost, Ex. vilde hun inviteres? did she wish to be invited (E. Brandes: En Politiker.) The reason is that the verb vil and the ending in -s both imply so much activity, that they combined cannot possibly convey a passive meaning.