Versicherungs-Englisch: Passive Voice im Versicherungswesen
The Passive Voice in Policy Wording and Claims Handling
In corporate and international insurance correspondence, the Passive Voice (Passiv) is used much more frequently than in everyday English. In insurance contexts, the action or the document itself is usually more important than the person who performs the action.
For example, instead of writing "The underwriter approved the claim" (Active), business English standard templates usually read "The claim has been approved" (Passive). This structure shifts the entire focus onto the status of the file and maintains a professional, objective tone.
Niveau: B1
Passive Voice vs. Active Voice
The insurance policy was officially issued yesterday. [Passive]
(Die Versicherungspolice wurde gestern offiziell ausgestellt. [Passiv])
The administration team officially issued the insurance policy yesterday. [Active]
(Das Vertragsteam hat die Versicherungspolice gestern offiziell ausgestellt. [Aktiv])
Additional supporting evidence is requested by our legal team. [Passive]
(Zusätzliches Belegmaterial wird von unserem Rechtsteam angefordert. [Passiv])
Grammar Rules: How to Build the Passive Voice
The passive voice is always structured using the correct tense of the auxiliary verb to be combined with the Past Participle (3. Verbform, z. B. done, approved, issued, paid).
| Tense | Passive Voice Structure | Insurance Business Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | am / is / are + Past Participle | The premium is calculated based on the risk level. (Die Prämie wird basierend auf der Risikostufe berechnet.) |
| Present Progressive | am / is / are + being + Past Participle | The sudden machinery loss is currently being investigated. (Der plötzliche Maschinenschaden wird derzeit untersucht.) |
| Past Simple | was / were + Past Participle | The original claim form was submitted last week. (Das ursprüngliche Schadenformular wurde letzte Woche eingereicht.) |
| Present Perfect | has / have + been + Past Participle | The final settlement agreement has been signed by the client. (Die endgültige Regulierungsvereinbarung wurde vom Kunden unterzeichnet.) |
| Modal Verbs | modal + be + Past Participle | All relevant material facts must be disclosed to the insurer. (Alle relevanten gefahrerheblichen Umstände müssen dem Versicherer offengelegt werden.) |
Why do we use the Passive Voice?
There are three primary reasons why corporate insurers choose passive structures over active ones:
1. The actor is unknown or obvious: "The fire doors were locked during the night." (It does not matter exactly *who* locked them, the condition of the door is what determines the risk status).
2. Objective and formal tone: By removing personal pronouns (I, you, we), the text sounds professional, neutral, and strictly contract-oriented.
Business Dialogue: Discussing File Processing Status
Broker: Good afternoon, Marc. Can you give me an update on the Delta Tech renewal? Has the firm quotation been calculated yet?
(Guten Morgen, Marc. Kannst du mir ein Update zur Delta-Tech-Verlängerung geben? Wurde das verbindliche Angebot bereits berechnet?)
Underwriter: Good afternoon, Lisa. The technical data is still being processed by our risk engineers. A physical site survey was requested last Tuesday.
(Guten Morgen, Lisa. Die technischen Daten werden derzeit noch von unseren Risikoingenieuren bearbeitet. Eine physische Standortbesichtigung wurde letzten Dienstag angefordert.)
Broker: I see. But the original application was submitted over three weeks ago. The contract is due to expire soon.
(Ich verstehe. Aber der ursprüngliche Antrag wurde vor über drei Wochen eingereicht. Der Vertrag läuft bald ab.)
Underwriter: Do not worry, a temporary binder has been issued to confirm that cover is maintained until the new policy wording is finalized.
(Keine Sorge, eine vorläufige Deckungszusage wurde ausgestellt, um zu bestätigen, dass der Schutz aufrechterhalten wird, bis der neue Policentext fertiggestellt ist.)
Broker: Excellent. Will the premium invoice be sent to my attention directly?
(Hervorragend. Wird die Prämienrechnung direkt zu meinen Handen geschickt?)
Underwriter: Yes, absolutely. Once the survey report has been approved, the documentation will be dispatched immediately.
(Ja, absolut. Sobald der Besichtigungsbericht genehmigt wurde, werden die Unterlagen umgehend versandt.)
True or False: Policy Administration Status
1. The firm premium quotation for Delta Tech has already been fully calculated and finalized. ______ False
(Das verbindliche Prämienangebot für Delta Tech wurde bereits vollständig berechnet und fertiggestellt.)
2. A physical site survey was officially requested by the underwriting team last week. ______ True
(Eine physische Standortbesichtigung wurde letzte Woche offiziell vom Underwriting-Team angefordert.)
3. The original insurance application form was submitted by the broker over three weeks ago. ______ True
(Das ursprüngliche Versicherungsantragsformular wurde vom Makler vor über drei Wochen eingereicht.)
4. No temporary binder has been issued, meaning the client is currently exposed without cover. ______ False
(Es wurde keine vorläufige Deckungszusage ausgestellt, was bedeutet, dass der Kunde derzeit ohne Schutz dasteht.)
Typische Fehler deutscher Muttersprachler
❌ The claim was became approved yesterday.
✔ The claim was approved yesterday.
(Im Englischen wird das Passiv mit "to be" gebildet, niemals mit "become".)
❌ The policy is being edit since two hours.
✔ The policy has been under review for two hours. / The policy is being edited.
❌ The payout was paid from the insurance company.
✔ The payout was made by the insurance company.
(Die handelnde Institution oder Person wird im Passiv immer mit der Präposition "by" angeschlossen.)
Teil 1: Complete the Sentences (Randomized Answers)
Choose the correct passive verb form to complete the contract administration statement. The correct choice (A or B) is randomized.
| No. | Sentence | A | B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The premium invoice ______ generated by our system automatically. | ||
| 2 | The complex cargo file has ______ transferred to the senior team. | ||
| 3 | The physical warehouse building was completely ______ by fire. | ||
| 4 | A temporary binder note will ______ issued by the end of business today. | ||
| 5 | The suspicious liability claim is currently ______ investigated by the SIU. |
Teil 2: Vocabulary & Structure Quiz (Randomized Answers)
Choose the correct technical and grammatical match. The layout options (A, B, C or D) are completely mixed.
| No. | Grammar & Context Question | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which of the following sentences is written in the correct Present Perfect Passive? | ||||
| 2 | How do you translate: "Die Prämie wird monatlich eingezogen"? | ||||
| 3 | What is the passive equivalent of: "The manager signs the slip"? | ||||
| 4 | In the sentence "The policy was cancelled by the client", what does "by" introduce? | ||||
| 5 | Complete the modal structure: "The deductible must ______ deducted from the payout." |
Weitere Seiten zum Versicherungs-Englisch
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Die wichtigsten Verben & Fachbegriffe
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Verträge & Policen
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Angebote & Antragstellung
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Policenverwaltung
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Schadenmeldung
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Schadenbearbeitung & Schadenregulierung
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Schadenmanagement
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Compliance & Audits
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Geschäftskorrespondenz & E-Mails
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Telefonieren & Kundengespräche
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Haftpflichtversicherung (Liability Insurance)
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Property & Casualty Insurance (Sach- & Unfall)
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Krankenversicherung (Health Insurance)
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Lebensversicherung (Life Insurance)
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Transportversicherung (Marine & Cargo)
- Versicherungs-Englisch: Versicherungsbetrug & Fraud Prevention