Abstract The paper deals with variation found among the Scandinavian languages and English concerning word order and agreement in passives. The variation concerns, among other things, whether the language does or does not have (a) participle agreement, (b) the order expletive-aux-NP-participle, (c) an expletive passive double object construction, (d) the order wh-expletive-participle, and (e) so-called complex passives. This is argued to be the result of variation along a set of parameters, including whether the expletive has φ-features, whether the participle head has φ-features, and whether it also has an EPP-feature. The framework is that of Chomsky (2001), assuming Agree, hence not assuming obligatory spec-head agreement with covert movement to check φ-features or Case. Certain apparent cases of obligatory spec-head agreement in Swedish and Norwegian are discussed and explained as the result of an economy condition. A modification is proposed concerning the phase impenetrability condition.