Can you use imperfect in passive voice constructions?

Question

Can you say:

El hombre era influido por las creencias de sus padres.

or does it have to be:

El hombre fue influido por las creencias de sus padres.

Thanks

Answer 1

I'm not saying you can't because I'm not a grammar whiz-bang, but I would say

• El hombre fue influenciado por las creencias de sus padres.

or

• El hombre estuvo influenciado por las creencias de sus padres.

Is there any difference between the meaning or connotation of "influir" and "influenciar"? I didn't realize that "influenciar" was a verb in Spanish until just now. - arh1, Apr 18, 2011

Answer 2

All tenses can be constructed in passive (except imperative), so both are grammatically correct, but both sound weird anyway. Remember that this kind of passive is less used in Spanish than in English. Try some of the suggestions provided here.

Is there a normal-sounding way to say this in Spanish without using passive voice, or using it differently? - arh1, Apr 19, 2011

Answer 3

El hombre estuvo o estaba influido por sus padres.