Phrasal Verbs

Unit 13
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Passive Phrasal Verbs, Part 1
The passive voice is used when what happened (the verb) is more important than who did it
(the subject):
The scene of the crime was closed off by the police.
when the subject is obvious:
The tests were handed in. (by the students—who else?)
or when the subject is unknown:
My dog was run over. (by an unknown person)
The passive is formed with be and the past participle of the verb. Be can be in any tense and
can be continuous:
The game has been called off.
My name was left off.
The tent is being set up.
The criminals will be tracked down.
As we saw in the first three examples, saying who performed the action with a by phrase is
optional, but it is always possible. This is a good way to test a sentence to see if it is in the
passive:
The game has been called off by the referee.
My name was left off by Charles.
The tent is being set up by the campers.
The criminals will be tracked down by the police.
Infinitive: call off
PRESENT TENSE
-ING FORM
PAST TENSE
PAST PARTICIPLE
call off & calls off
calling off
called off
called off
1. call . . . off p.v. When you call off an event, such as a party, game, or something else that
had been previously planned, you cancel it.
The football game was called off because of rain.
We can’t call the party off—it’s going to start in half an hour.
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Infinitive: close off
PRESENT TENSE
-ING FORM
PAST TENSE
PAST PARTICIPLE
close off & closes off closing off
closed off
closed off
1. close . . . off p.v. When you close off an area, you prohibit people from entering it or
passing through it by locking the door or blocking the entrance.
The police closed several streets off because of the parade.
The house was so expensive to heat that the owners closed several rooms off.
closed off part.adj. An area that you are prohibited from entering or passing through
because the door has been locked or the entrance has been blocked is closed off.
Three rooms in the museum are closed off.
Infinitive: hand in
PRESENT TENSE
-ING FORM
PAST TENSE
PAST PARTICIPLE
hand in & hands in
handing in
handed in
handed in
1. hand . . . in (to) p.v. When you complete a test, report, or project and you give it to the
person who assigned the work, you hand it in or hand it in to that person. Turn in is
similar to hand in.
The tests must be handed in no later than 11:00.
He finished his investigation and handed his report in to the committee.
2. hand . . . in p.v. When you hand in your resignation or letter of resignation, you inform
your employer that you are quitting your job.
I was so furious that I handed my letter of resignation in the next day.
The President asked the cabinet members to hand in their resignations.
3. hand . . . in (to) p.v. When you give something to a person of authority who has
demanded it or because you no longer need or want it, you hand it in or hand it in to a
person of authority. Turn in is similar to hand in.
The guard was ordered to hand his gun in after he shot the window washer.
The drivers return to the factory at 5:00 and hand their keys in to the dispatcher
before they leave.