Passive Voice 3: The Matter Was Dealt With
By the end: I can preserve the whole verb expression when making a passive.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Keep the preposition
Some verbs retain their preposition when the affected complement becomes the passive subject.
The complaint was dealt with promptly.
The child was looked after by a neighbour.
After belongs to the verb; by introduces the actor
After remains because it is part of look after, not a replacement for the by-phrase.
Keep a multiword expression intact
A particle and preposition can both remain. Check the meaning of the full expression before transforming it.
The proposal was put forward yesterday.
The cancellation was put up with reluctantly.
Choose a natural focus
Use the passive when the affected matter is your topic. If a transformation sounds strained or hides an important actor, keep an active version.
The problem has been looked into.
The team looked into the problem and identified its cause.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.
1. Passivise: We dealt with the request.
Compare a model and explanation
The request was dealt with.
Do not lose with.
2. Passivise: A neighbour looked after the plants.
Compare a model and explanation
The plants were looked after by a neighbour.
Keep the expression look after.
3. Correct: The issue was looked.
Compare a model and explanation
The issue was looked into.
Add the preposition that belongs to investigate in this context.
4. Passivise: Someone put forward a new idea.
Compare a model and explanation
A new idea was put forward.
Forward stays with the verb.
5. Correct: The delay was put with.
Compare a model and explanation
The delay was put up with.
The full expression is put up with.
6. Restore an explicit agent: The file was dealt with by Ana.
Compare a model and explanation
Ana dealt with the file.
Keep the same roles.
7. Should every verb plus preposition be forced into a passive?
Compare a model and explanation
No.
Naturalness and the intended focus matter.
8. Give an active and passive report about the same investigation.
Compare a model and explanation
The team looked into the error. The error was looked into by the team.
Do not change investigated into solved.
A short conversation
Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Has the complaint been dealt with?
B: It has been looked into, but it hasn’t been resolved.
A: Who is following up?
B: The support team. I’ll keep them named in the report so responsibility is clear.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking 1
Report two actions using complete multiword passives.
Reveal a possible response
The request was dealt with. The proposal was put forward yesterday.
Success check: Retain the required particles and prepositions.
Speaking 2
Rewrite a passive actively to make responsibility clearer.
Reveal a possible response
The error was looked into by the team. The team looked into the error.
Success check: Keep investigation distinct from resolution.
Put it all together
Give an incident update with what was investigated, what was resolved and who remains responsible.
Reveal a possible response
The complaint has been looked into, but it has not been resolved. The support team is dealing with it. A new solution has been put forward.
Success check: Do not turn passive wording into stronger factual claims.
Take it with you
I can preserve the whole verb expression when making a passive.