Let's begin with the typo. The question is probably, "¿Para qué sirve(n)?" It would be helpful to know exactly which text you are using, to see how this concept is introduced. When you ask for 3 uses or functions without using "se puede," I am confused! There is one use for el pasivo reflejo but there are 3 ways to form the passive voice. Could you please clarify with an example you have learned? In any event, let's take both "el pasivo reflejo" and "la voz pasiva."
In "el pasivo reflejo" the "se" is invariable, used with a transitive verb, agreeing with the patient and not with the agent. Instead of achieving the action of the verb, the patient receives it. It's a way to avoid the English Passive. The verb will be either 3rd person singular or plural. Some examples: se venden libros = books for sale / se sirve desayuno = breakfast is served. Like the Passive Voice, the agent of the action is not stated. (WHO sells books, WHO serves breakfast?) Literally those examples would be translated as "Books sell themselves / Breakfast serves itself." That is why you do not wish to translate them literally for they make no sense in English!
Passive Voice:
In the active voice, the subject generally performs the action. In the passive voice, the subject is acted upon.
ACTIVE: El profesor enseñó la lección. = The teacher taught the lesson.
PASSIVE: La lección fue enseñada por el profesor. = The lesson was taught by the teacher.
1. If the agent or doer is mentioned or implied, the passive voice is formed by a "word-for-word" translation = subject + ser + past participle + por + doer. Note that the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. (enseñada)
2. If the agent or doer is not mentioned or implied, and the subject is a thing, the reflexive construction is used. Usually the subject follows the verb. Se enseñó la lección. OR Se venden los libros.
3. a) The pronoun "se" can be used as an indefinite subject. Here it is not reflexive (se puede / se dice) and is used only with the 3rd person singular of the verb. Instead Dicen (they say) can be used instead of Se dice + an indefinite subject. Se dice que es rico. Dicen que es rico. (Other examples could be "se cree" or "se sabe."
b) The indefinite "se" is used to express the passive when the doer is indefinite (not mentioned or implied) OR a person is acted upon. Se mató al hombre / Se le mató. (The man was killed / He was killed. = someone unidentified killed him. OR Se mató a los hombres. / Se les mató. = the men were killed. They were killed. (For masculine plural, although the person(s) acted upon is/are a direct object, the form le/les are "leísmo" here.
Again, instead of the indefinite "se" construction, the active voice third person plural is often used. Mataron al hombre (a los hombres). Le (Los) mataron.
SUMMARY OF PASSIVE: (l) Word-for-Word Translation (agent expressed), (2) Reflexive (thing when agent is not expressed) or (3) Indefinite (person, when agent is not expressed.)
Well, this may be a whole lot more than you want or need, so please get back to us with specific questions and/or examples.
Sra
I am really having problems in understanding "el pasivo reflejo"...it's a tense that is quite confusing to me. Could you help me with one of my questions?
1. Para qui sirve(n)? [Indique por lo menos tres usos o funciones sin usar << se puede>>.]
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