E10 G - Passive voice with prepositional verbs
aiMOOCE10 G - Passive voice with prepositional verbs
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E10 G - Passive voice with prepositional verbs
Mini-description: Recognise and build strongly supported passive structures with common verbs + prepositions. Understand how the passive changes the information focus.
Level: English as a first foreign language, Year 10, G level, Baden-Württemberg.
Learning route: English first → understand → respond → analyse → communicate → feedback → revise → transfer.
Media starter
Look at the picture. Do not translate every word. Think in short English chunks:
- What can people talk about?
- Who can be spoken to?
- What can be listened to?
- Who can be looked after?
Now compare:
Active: People talk about the new rule.
Passive: The new rule is talked about.
What changed? The information focus moved from people to the new rule.
I-can goals
After this aiMOOC, you can:
- recognise passive structures such as is talked about or was looked after;
- understand why a speaker or writer chooses the passive;
- keep the preposition in common passive structures;
- build short present and past passive sentences with strong support;
- respond to short listening and reading texts;
- speak and write clearly about situations in school, everyday life and simple work contexts;
- check and revise your own sentences with a short checklist.
Core production set: talk about, look after, deal with, speak to.
Recognition set: listen to, laugh at, pay for, care for.
You may understand more structures than you are asked to produce freely. That is normal.
What you already know
You already know the basic passive:
Active: The team cleans the room.
Passive: The room is cleaned.
You also know common verb + preposition combinations:
talk about a problem
look after a child
listen to a podcast
deal with a complaint
Quick check:
Which part belongs together?
talk + about
look + after
listen + to
deal + with
Do not separate the verb from its preposition when you learn it.
Listening and viewing
Viewing 1: The passive voice
Watch this short BBC Learning English video. First watch for the main idea. Then watch again and pause when you need to.
First viewing – understand:
- Is the passive about the doer or about the person or thing affected?
- Which form of be do you hear?
- Which past participles can you recognise?
Second viewing – respond:
Complete these ideas orally:
The passive uses a form of be plus ...
The passive is useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant or not the main focus.
Support: You may use subtitles on the second viewing. Pause and replay short parts.
Viewing 2: Verb + preposition chunks
Listen for complete chunks, not single words.
For this course, focus only on these parts:
deal with
listen to
think about
Say each chunk once after the speaker. Do not try to learn the whole video.
Short repeat-and-notice task
Listen or read twice:
The complaint is dealt with quickly.
The podcast is listened to in class.
The problem is talked about after lunch.
On the second round, notice the final preposition: with – to – about.
Reading: A small school project
Read for meaning first.
Green Week at Brookfield School
A new Green Week is planned for May. The idea is talked about in many classes. Younger pupils are looked after by older student helpers during two activities. Questions are dealt with at the information desk. A short podcast is listened to before the workshop. At the end, every group is spoken to by a teacher.
Do not translate the full text.
Understand:
- What is the main topic?
- Who helps younger pupils?
- Where are questions handled?
- What happens before the workshop?
Analyse: Underline the passive structures. Circle the prepositions.
Context vocabulary
Learn useful chunks in context.
| Chunk | Simple meaning support | Example |
|---|---|---|
| talk about | discuss | The new plan is talked about. |
| look after | take care of | The children are looked after. |
| deal with | handle | The problem is dealt with. |
| speak to | talk directly to someone | The visitor is spoken to. |
| listen to | hear with attention | The podcast is listened to. |
| laugh at | make fun of | Nobody wants to be laughed at. |
| pay for | give money for | The tickets are paid for online. |
| care for | look after | The animals are cared for. |
Tip: Learn the whole chunk: deal with, not only deal.
Functional grammar: passive with prepositional verbs
The key pattern
Active: People talk about the problem.
Passive: The problem is talked about.
The object after the preposition becomes the new subject.
Pattern:
new subject + be + past participle + preposition
Examples:
The children are looked after.
The complaint is dealt with.
The visitor was spoken to.
The joke was laughed at.
The preposition stays with the verb.
Present and past
| Time | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present | People talk about the rule. | The rule is talked about. |
| Present plural | Staff look after the children. | The children are looked after. |
| Past | Staff dealt with the problem. | The problem was dealt with. |
| Past plural | Teachers spoke to the visitors. | The visitors were spoken to. |
For this course, concentrate on is / are and was / were.
Information focus
Compare:
A teacher spoke to Maya.
The focus starts with a teacher.
Maya was spoken to by a teacher.
The focus starts with Maya.
Use the passive when the person or thing affected is more important for the message.
The by-phrase is optional:
Maya was spoken to.
Use by + person only when the doer is useful information.
One important limit
Not every verb + preposition combination makes a natural passive sentence.
For this G-level course, use the practised chunks and avoid guessing.
Correct and useful:
The issue is talked about.
The children are looked after.
Do not build a passive simply because you see a preposition.
Step-by-step sentence builder
Use this four-step help.
Step 1: Find the object after the preposition.
People talk about the problem.
Step 2: Move it to the front.
The problem ...
Step 3: Choose be.
The problem is ...
Step 4: Add past participle + preposition.
The problem is talked about.
Now try:
Teachers look after the pupils.
→ The pupils are looked after.
Staff dealt with the complaint.
→ The complaint was dealt with.
Pronunciation for clear communication
Your goal is understandable English, not accent-free English.
Say the chunks as units:
TALK about
LOOK after
DEAL with
SPEAK to
In passive sentences, keep the final preposition audible:
The issue was TALKED about.
The child was LOOKED after.
Do not swallow about, after, with or to.
A short pause before repeating is fine. Recordings are optional and should stay private unless you choose to share them.
Speaking
Use the frame:
The ... is / are ...
The ... was / were ...
Choose one:
talked about – looked after – dealt with – spoken to
Example:
A: What happens to new pupils on the first day?
B: They are looked after by student helpers.
Useful follow-up questions:
Who by?
When?
Why?
Can you say that again, please?
What do you mean by ...?
Speaking mini-task
Work with a partner. Use only fictional situations.
Student A gives an active sentence.
Student B changes the information focus with the passive.
Example:
A: Staff deal with questions at the desk.
B: Questions are dealt with at the desk.
Then switch roles.
Writing
Short structured email
Write 60–80 words about a fictional school event.
Use this support:
Subject: Information about ...
Hello ...,
Here is some information about ...
Questions are ...
Younger pupils are ...
The main topic is ...
Best wishes,
...
Use at least two correct passive structures with prepositional verbs.
Do not invent real personal data. Profiles, applications and names in this course are fictional.
Short report
Write four sentences about a fictional event.
Use one sentence for each function:
- what is talked about;
- who is looked after;
- how a problem is dealt with;
- who is spoken to.
Then revise with the checklist below.
Mediation
Read this short German note:
Beim Projekttag werden Fragen am Infostand bearbeitet. Jüngere Schülerinnen und Schüler werden von älteren Helferinnen und Helfern betreut. Über die Ergebnisse wird am Ende gesprochen.
A visiting English-speaking student asks: What happens at the project day?
Give the key information in simple English. Do not translate word for word.
Useful language:
Questions are dealt with ...
Younger pupils are looked after ...
The results are talked about ...
Help box
When you are unsure, use this mini-check:
1. What is the new focus?
2. Which form of be do I need?
3. What is the past participle?
4. Did I keep the preposition?
5. Do I really need a by-phrase?
Feedback and revision
Use two stars and one next step.
Star 1: One thing that is clear.
Star 2: One correct passive structure.
Next step: One small change.
Helpful feedback:
Your focus is clear.
You kept the preposition.
Check is / are.
Check the past participle.
Add the preposition.
Revise your own text after feedback. Keep your original version so you can see your progress.
Error analysis
Find the problem and repair the sentence.
Wrong: The problem is talked.
Better: The problem is talked about.
Wrong: The children is looked after.
Better: The children are looked after.
Wrong: The complaint was deal with.
Better: The complaint was dealt with.
Wrong: The visitor was spoke to.
Better: The visitor was spoken to.
Wrong: The issue is talked about by people.
This sentence can be grammatical, but the by-phrase may be unnecessary.
Clearer in many contexts: The issue is talked about.
Smart and safe use of digital tools
You may use dictionaries, spellcheckers or AI tools only when your learning setting allows it.
- Check tool output against your course examples or a reliable dictionary.
- Keep your own draft.
- Do not replace your whole text with an external text.
- Do not upload private recordings, personal data or other people's work without permission.
- If a tool gives a grammar explanation, test it with one example from this course.
- Clear communication is more important than perfect-sounding English.
Transfer: change the focus
Choose the passive because of meaning, not because a task says “use passive”.
Situation 1:
You are writing an information card about a school event.
Good focus: The questions are dealt with at the desk.
Situation 2:
You are telling a story about the staff member.
Good focus: The staff member deals with the questions.
Ask yourself:
What should the listener notice first?
That is the information-focus question.
Can-do check
Mark each statement:
Yes – Nearly – Not yet
- I can recognise be + past participle + preposition.
- I can keep the preposition in talked about and looked after.
- I can build a short present passive sentence.
- I can build a short past passive sentence.
- I can explain the information focus in simple words.
- I can give short feedback and revise one sentence.
- I can use a passive structure in a new school or everyday context.
If you choose Not yet, return to the sentence builder and practise two examples only.
Follow-up course
Continue with E10 G - Passive voice in reports and emails.
Before moving on, you should be able to build these four patterns with support:
is talked about
are looked after
was dealt with
were spoken to
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which sentence is a correct passive with a prepositional verb? (The problem is talked about.) (!The problem talks about.) (!The problem is talked.) (!The problem has talk about.)
What must stay in the passive sentence The children are looked after? (The preposition after) (!The active subject) (!A question word) (!A modal verb)
Which passive sentence matches People deal with the complaint? (The complaint is dealt with.) (!The complaint deals with.) (!The complaint is deal with.) (!The complaint is dealt.)
Which form is correct for a plural subject in the present passive? (are looked after) (!is looked after) (!was looked after) (!be look after)
Which form is correct for a singular subject in the past passive? (was spoken to) (!were spoken to) (!was spoke to) (!is spoken to)
Why can a writer choose the passive? (To put the affected person or thing in focus) (!To remove every preposition) (!To make every sentence longer) (!To avoid all past participles)
Which sentence keeps the preposition correctly? (The podcast is listened to.) (!The podcast is listened.) (!The podcast listens to.) (!The podcast is listen to.)
Which sentence is correct? (The children are looked after by student helpers.) (!The children are look after by student helpers.) (!The children is looked after by student helpers.) (!The children are looked by student helpers.)
Which sentence has the information focus on the visitor? (The visitor was spoken to.) (!A teacher spoke to the visitor.) (!The teacher speaks to visitors.) (!Visitors speak to the teacher.)
Which revision repairs the sentence The complaint was deal with? (The complaint was dealt with.) (!The complaint was dealing with.) (!The complaint was dealt.) (!The complaint deal with.)
Memory
| talk about | is talked about |
| look after | is looked after |
| deal with | is dealt with |
| speak to | is spoken to |
| listen to | is listened to |
| laugh at | is laughed at |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| talked about | discussion focus |
| looked after | care |
| dealt with | handling a problem |
| spoken to | direct communication |
| listened to | attention to sound |
Kreuzworträtsel
| passive | Which voice puts the affected person or thing in the subject position? |
| preposition | What word must remain in talked about? |
| subject | What sentence part stands first in The problem is talked about? |
| participle | What verb form is talked in is talked about? |
| agent | What do we call the doer of an action? |
| focus | What changes when we choose passive instead of active? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Sentence cards: Create six small cards. Put an active sentence on one side and a supported passive sentence on the other.
- Chunk poster: Make a small poster with talk about, look after, deal with and speak to. Add one simple example for each.
- Focus arrows: Take four sentence pairs and draw an arrow to the information that comes first.
- Private pronunciation practice: Read four passive sentences slowly. Recording is optional and stays private unless you choose otherwise.
Standard
- School event report: Write a fictional 80-word report using at least three target passive structures.
- Mini dialogue: Create a six-line partner dialogue with one request for clarification and two passive structures.
- Mediation card: Turn a short German event note into three clear English sentences without translating word for word.
- Peer feedback: Exchange a short fictional text, use two stars and one next step, then revise your own version.
Schwer
- Active-passive choice: Write six sentence pairs and explain in simple English how the information focus changes.
- Error clinic: Create five realistic mistakes with prepositional passives and write a correction plus a short reason.
- Fictional application context: Write a short fictional work-experience email in which tasks are described with two suitable passive structures. Use no real personal data.
- Mini teaching video: Plan a 60-second explanation for classmates. Use a fictional example, a sentence builder and one correction. Recording is voluntary and private; do not upload it without clear permission.
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Lernkontrolle
- Information focus: You receive an active and a passive version of the same message. Explain which information is foregrounded in each and choose the better version for a school notice. Give a reason.
- Error transfer: Correct three unfamiliar passive sentences with verb-preposition chunks and explain what kind of error you found.
- Context decision: For a fictional event, decide whether active or passive is more useful in four short situations. Support each choice with the intended focus.
- Mediation transfer: Read a short German note about a fictional project and give the main information in English using at least two suitable passive structures.
- Revision: Improve a short English paragraph after feedback. Keep the first version and mark what you changed and why.
- New examples: Use two practised chunks in a new context that was not used in the course, such as a club, workshop or community event.
Lernnachweis
For a successful learning record, show that you can:
- recognise common passive structures with prepositional verbs;
- form present and past passive sentences with the correct form of be;
- use the correct past participle;
- keep the preposition;
- explain a simple information-focus choice;
- communicate clearly in a short speaking or writing task;
- use feedback to revise your own text;
- transfer the structure to a new fictional context.
A strong learning record values clear meaning and careful revision more than accent imitation or unnecessary complexity.
OERs zum Thema
Wikipedia: English passive voice
Wikimedia Commons media used in this aiMOOC are linked through their file pages and licences.
Use the video for review: listen for be + past participle and compare the examples with the structures in this course.
Verknüpfte Lernbereiche