Phraseological Units in Passive Structures

Special care should be taken with the passive forms of verbs and phraseological units taking prepositional objects: the verb and the preposition following it always stay together while the noun-object (or pronoun) becomes the subject of the passive construction.

NOTE: When phrasal (compound) verbs are followed by a direct object without a preposition, remember to keep the two parts of the phrasal verb together in a passive structure.

Prepositional Verbs

1) account for – to give an explanation or reason for

His foolish behaviour could not be accounted for.

The late arrival of the steamer is accounted for by a storm on the sea.

2) arrive at (a decision, conclusion, agreement) – to reach, to come to

After many hours’ talk the decision was arrived at.

After an interesting discussion about the problem the agreement was arrived at.

3) ask for – to make a request for

Have I been asked for at the hotel?

4) approve of – to consider good, right, wise

(disapprove of – to consider bad, wrong or unwise)

His request was disapproved of.

His behaviour can’t be approved of.

5) break into – to enter by force: to break into a house

Their house was broken into last night but nothing was stolen.

At night his car was broken into and a few things were stolen from it.

6) call for – a) to demand: to call for the waiter, to call for the bill

At the end of the meal the bill was called for.

b) to collect (someone or something)

You’ll be called for at 7 o’clock.

7) comment on – to make a remark, give an opinion

The election results were widely commented on in the newspapers.

8) deal with – to do business

This store has been dealt with for twenty years.

The matter should be dealt with as soon as possible.

9) depend on – to trust (usually someone)

You’ll be depended on to do it.

The map was depended on but it was wrong.

10) hear from – to receive news from someone usually by letter

She hasn’t been heard from since she went to live in France.

11) hear of – 1) to know of (a fact, existence of something or somebody)

2) to hear about

This young tennis player has been heard of quite a lot lately.

12) insist on (upon) – to declare firmly (when opposed)

Punctuality is insisted on in this office.

Higher rates of pay were insisted on.

13) interfere with – to get in the way of another, to prevent from happening

My work was constantly being interfered with.

He doesn’t like to be interfered with while he is working.

14) laugh at – to treat as foolish, worthless or an object of fun

You look stupid with this haircut. You’ll be laughed at.

Don’t say such foolish things. You’ll be laughed at.

15) listen to – to give attention in hearing

I like to be listened carefully.

He was listened to attentively.

16) look at – to give attention in seeing, use the eyes

She felt she was being looked at and it pleased her.

She was looked at with surprise.

17) look after – to take care of someone or something

Are you being well looked after?

I hope the child will be well looked after while the parents are away.

Albert is 85. He lives with his son’s family and is well looked after.

18) look for – to try to find

The missing keys had been looked for everywhere but were never found.

The boy who disappeared from home last week is still being looked for.

19) look into – to examine the meaning or causes of something

The matter will be looked into in the near future.

20) mock at – to laugh at (someone or smth.) when it is wrong to do so

His strange way of expressing himself is always mocked at.

21) object to – to be against something or someone

His proposal was strongly objected to.

22) provide for – to support, supply with necessary things

She was well provided for in her husband’s will.

23) read to – to say printed or written words especially to give pleasure to others

Little children like to be read to.

24) refer to – to mention, speak about

Later the Minister’s report was referred to.

Your sister shouldn’t be referred to like a fool.

25) rely on – to trust someone to do something

He can be relied on to help you.

Jill can always be relied on. She never breaks her promises.

26) send for – to give a command, request

The child looks ill and I think the doctor must be sent for at once.

When they found her lying on the floor the doctor was sent for.

27) shout at – to give loud cry, speak or say very loudly

I hate to be shouted at. I like people to be nice to me.

28) think highly (well, little, poorly) of someone or somebody – to have a good (bad, etc) opinion of someone or something

He was highly thought of in his town.

29) wait for – to stay somewhere without doing anything until somebody or something comes or something happens

“Hurry up. You are being waited for downstairs.”

30) write to – to produce and send (a letter)

Will Bill be written to and informed about the changes?

Phraseological Units

1) do away with – cause to end, abolish

All these silly restrictions should be done away with.

2) find fault with – to complain, perhaps too much or too often

The poor child is always found fault with.

3) lose sight of – 1. to cease to see

At last the ship was lost sight of.

4) to forget

The main purpose of this discussion mustn’t be lost sight of.

5) make use of – to use well, to take advantage of

These are good examples. They should be made use of in the report.

6) make fun of – to laugh or cause others to laugh rather unkindly

She is often made fun of because she wears such strange hats.

7) pay attention to – to take notice of

All his remarks were paid little attention to.

8) put an end to - to stop from happening any more

This state of affairs will be put an end to.

9) put up with – to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining

Her attitude to her duties can’t be put up with.

10) set fire to – to light (something) not really meant to burn, set something on fire

The house was set fire to in the middle of the night.

11) take (good) care of – to be responsible for someone or something

I hope the child will be taken good care of.

12) take notice of – to pay attention to

She said something but her words were taken no notice of.

Phrasal Verbs

1) blow down – to fall by blowing

Several trees were blown down by the storm last night.

2) bring up – 1. to educate and care for the family until grown up: to bring up children

It was clear that the child had been brought up well.

3) to raise or introduce (a subject) – to bring up a question

The question of Judy’s future was brought up at the regular meeting of the committee.

4) call up – to order (someone) to join the armed forces

He was called up in 1996.

5) give up – to stop believing that someone can be saved especially from death

The boy was given up for lost.

6) hold up – to delay

The building of the new road has been held up by bad weather.

7) knock down – to destroy a building (bridge) by means of blows

Our house is being knocked down to give way for a new road.

There used to be a church here but it was knocked down.

8) let down – to cause (someone) to be disappointed in one’s loyalty; fail to keep a promise to someone

It was difficult to believe that he had been let down by his friend.

9) pick on – a) to choose someone to do an unpleasant job or blame someone for something, especially unfairly

Why am I always picked on (by the boss)?

b) to choose something or someone

Any student can be picked on to answer the examiners’ questions.

10) pick out – a) to choose someone or something carefully

All the synonyms to the word “despair” must be picked out from the text.

b) to recognize someone or something in a group of people or things

Bob’s father could be easily picked out of the crowd.

11) pick up – a) to lift something up from a surface

The baby is always picked up whenever it cries.

The litter should be picked up.

b) to collect someone who is waiting for you or something that you have left somewhere

The mail will be picked up a bit later.

I hope to be picked up at 8.00 at the latest.

The hitchhiker was picked up by the truck driver.

12) point out – to draw attention to something or someone

Not all the mistakes in Bob’s written test were pointed out.

13) pull down – to break to pieces and destroy something

Half the houses in the street are being pulled down to make room for the new post-office.

14) put off – to move to a later date, to delay

Their wedding has been put off.

The meeting will have to be put off till later in the week.

15) run over (of a vehicle or its driver) – to knock down and pass over the top of (esp. a creature)

The brakes failed and the old man was run over by the bus.

They had a dog but it got run over.

16) see off – to go to the airport, station, etc. with someone who is beginning a trip

When he was going away he was seen off by all his friends at the airport.

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