By (poolt) in Formal Writing

Level 5

Valitsuse poolt means by the government. It names the doer in a formal impersonal sentence.

How It Works

The impersonal says that something is done without saying who does it. In official texts and the news, the doer is sometimes added with a genitive + poolt:

  • Otsus võeti vastu valitsuse poolt. (The decision was made by the government.)
  • Stipendiumi makstakse ülikooli poolt. (The scholarship is paid by the university.)

This is most common when the doer is an organization rather than one person. It works only with verbs that take an object, such as vastu võtma, maksma or ehitama. With a verb like tantsima or elama, make the doer the subject instead.

Language advice often prefers other ways to say the same thing:

  • An active sentence: Valitsus võttis otsuse vastu.
  • A genitive right before a -tud form: arsti määratud ravim (medicine prescribed by a doctor). Here poolt is not needed.

When other words stand between the doer and the -tud form, poolt can keep the phrase clear: riigi poolt eelmisel aastal eraldatud raha (money set aside by the state last year).

Poolt has other meanings too. With hääletama it means in favor of: Ta hääletas ettepaneku poolt. (He voted for the proposal.)

Examples (5)

  1. Otsus võeti vastu valitsuse poolt.

    The decision was made by the government.

    A formal impersonal sentence with the doer added.

  2. Valitsus võttis otsuse vastu.

    The government made the decision.

    The active sentence says the same thing more directly.

  3. Stipendiumi makstakse ülikooli poolt.

    The scholarship is paid by the university.

  4. Arsti määratud ravimit tuleb võtta kaks korda päevas.

    The medicine prescribed by the doctor must be taken twice a day.

    A genitive right before a -tud form names the doer without poolt.

  5. Ta hääletas ettepaneku poolt.

    He voted for the proposal.

    Here poolt means in favor of. It does not name a doer.

Common Mistakes

  • Using poolt with a verb that takes no object.

    Peol tantsiti noorte poolt.
    Peol tantsisid noored.

    Poolt can name the doer only with a verb that takes an object. Here tantsima has no object, so make noored the subject.

  • Putting the doer in the nominative.

    Otsus võeti vastu valitsus poolt.
    Otsus võeti vastu valitsuse poolt.

    Poolt is a postposition, so the noun before it is in the genitive: valitsuse.

How It Connects

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By (poolt) in Formal WritingLevel 5

Learn This First

poolt names the doer after a -tud form in formal writing.

Words in This Pattern

poolt