Using transitive and intransitive verbs

ugs.gif (980 bytes) What is an intransitive verb? page 5 of 5

Passive voice with intransitive phrasal verbs

It is generally true that intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive because, as they lack an object, there is nothing to act as the subject of the passive voice sentence.

However, some intransitive phrasal verbs can be used in the passive, in cases where the object of the preposition can be made the subject in the passive voice version:

He's done away with freedom of the press. (Bank of English)
                                                 object

 active voice
Freedom of the press has been done away with.
                 subject		 passive voice

Here is a list of intransitive phrasal verbs which can be used in passive voice :

  act on   attend on   bite into   break into
  budget for   build on   call on   care for
  cater for   check up on   deal with   dispense with
  dispose of   do away with   enter into   fuss over
  get at   get round   gloss over   impose on
  improve on   indulge in   jump on   keep to
  lean on   leap on   listen to   look after
  look at   look into   look through   meddle with
  minister to   operate on   paper over   pay for
  pick on   play with   point to   pounce on
  preside over   prey on   provide for   put upon
  rush into   see through   see to   send for
  shoot at   skate over   stamp on   stare at
  tamper with   tinker with   trample on   trifle with
  wait on   watch over   work on

Phrasal verbs such as these are normally reserved for informal, especially spoken English.

Note that passivisation of phrasal verbs is not possible in all cases:

The car jerked into motion and the siren rose to a wail as the car picked up speed. (Bank of English)

... the siren rose to a wail as speed was picked up by the car.

For further information about passivisation of phrasal verbs and other verbs followed by prepositions, see 04conten.gif (549 bytes) Using passive voice: Passive voice with verbs + prepositions.

04conten.gif (549 bytes) Introduction
04conten.gif (549 bytes) A definition of intransitive verbs
04conten.gif (549 bytes) A list of verbs which are normally used intransitively
04conten.gif (549 bytes) Choice of active or passive voice with intransitive verbs
square.gif (58 bytes) Passive voice with intransitive phrasal verbs

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