“The baby was looked after by her grandmother.” “The match was called off.” When a verb comes with a preposition or a particle, that little word stays with the verb in the passive, even if it ends up at the end of the sentence. This is one of the biggest differences from Portuguese, and a classic trap for Brazilians.“The baby was looked after by her grandmother.” (A avó cuidou da bebê.) “The match was called off.” (O jogo foi cancelado.) Quando um verbo vem com uma preposição ou uma partícula, essa palavrinha continua junto do verbo na passiva, mesmo que acabe no fim da frase. Essa é uma das maiores diferenças em relação ao português, e uma armadilha clássica para brasileiros.
B1+ The little word stays with the verb
Some verbs need a preposition before their object: look after someone, laugh at someone, talk about something. In the passive, the object becomes the subject, but the preposition does not move. It stays right after the past participle.Alguns verbos precisam de uma preposição antes do objeto: look after (cuidar de) alguém, laugh at (rir de) alguém, talk about (falar sobre) algo. Na passiva, o objeto vira sujeito, mas a preposição não sai do lugar. Ela fica logo depois do particípio.
Active
The preposition comes before the object.A preposição vem antes do objeto.
Everyone laughed at my accent. (Todo mundo riu do meu sotaque.)
Passive
The preposition stays after the verb.A preposição fica depois do verbo.
My accent was laughed at. (Riram do meu sotaque.)
Verbs with a preposition
| Verb | Passive example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| look after | The kids were looked after by a neighbour. | As crianças ficaram aos cuidados de uma vizinha. |
| talk about | The new rule is being talked about everywhere. | Todo mundo está falando da nova regra. |
| deal with | Your complaint will be dealt with this week. | Sua reclamação será resolvida esta semana. |
| pay for | The trip was paid for by the school. | A viagem foi paga pela escola. |
| listen to | I felt that I was finally listened to. | Senti que finalmente me ouviram. |
| rely on | This app can’t be relied on. | Não dá para confiar neste aplicativo. |
| operate on | He was operated on last night. | Ele foi operado ontem à noite. |
| refer to | This method is often referred to as “the Japanese way”. | Esse método é muitas vezes chamado de “o jeito japonês”. |
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs work the same way. The particle (off, up, down, out…) is part of the meaning, so it can never be left out: called and called off are different verbs.Os phrasal verbs funcionam do mesmo jeito. A partícula (off, up, down, out…) faz parte do significado, então nunca pode sumir: called (chamado) e called off (cancelado) são verbos diferentes.
| Phrasal verb | Passive example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| call off | The game was called off because of the rain. | O jogo foi cancelado por causa da chuva. |
| put off | The meeting has been put off until Friday. | A reunião foi adiada para sexta. |
| turn down | My application was turned down. | Meu pedido foi recusado. |
| set up | The company was set up in 2015. | A empresa foi fundada em 2015. |
| carry out | The research was carried out in five states. | A pesquisa foi realizada em cinco estados. |
| bring up | I was brought up by my grandparents. | Fui criado pelos meus avós. |
| throw away | Tons of food are thrown away every day. | Toneladas de comida são jogadas fora todos os dias. |
| pick up | You’ll be picked up at the airport. | Vão buscar você no aeroporto. |
Ending with a preposition is normal
In English, a sentence can end with a preposition or a particle: The kids were looked after. The match was called off. This is correct and natural, in speech and in writing.Em inglês, uma frase pode terminar com preposição ou partícula: The kids were looked after. (Cuidaram das crianças.) The match was called off. (O jogo foi cancelado.) Isso é correto e natural, tanto na fala quanto na escrita.
Teacher’s tip: why Brazilians forget the preposition
In Portuguese, the preposition goes with the person: “Riram de mim”. So when “mim” becomes the subject, it feels natural to drop it. In English, the preposition belongs to the verb, so it stays: I was laughed at.Em português, a preposição vai junto com a pessoa: “Riram de mim”. Então, quando “mim” vira sujeito, parece natural tirar a preposição. Em inglês, a preposição pertence ao verbo, então ela fica: I was laughed at. (Riram de mim.)
B2 Longer expressions, modals and “get”
Some expressions have a verb, a noun and a preposition: take care of, make fun of, take advantage of. Others have three words, like put up with. In the passive, the whole expression stays together.Algumas expressões têm verbo, substantivo e preposição: take care of (cuidar de), make fun of (zombar de), take advantage of (aproveitar-se de). Outras têm três palavras, como put up with (tolerar, aguentar). Na passiva, a expressão inteira fica junta.
- The plants were taken care of while we were away. (Cuidaram das plantas enquanto estávamos fora.)
- Nobody likes being made fun of. (Ninguém gosta de ser alvo de piada.)
- I felt I had been taken advantage of. (Senti que tinham se aproveitado de mim.)
- Rude comments will not be put up with in this group. (Comentários grosseiros não serão tolerados neste grupo.)
Two possible passives
With pay attention to and take notice of, the noun can also become the subject. This version is more formal: No attention was paid to the warning. The other is more common in speech: The warning wasn’t paid attention to.Com pay attention to (prestar atenção em) e take notice of (dar atenção a), o substantivo também pode virar sujeito. Essa versão é mais formal: No attention was paid to the warning. (Ninguém deu atenção ao aviso.) A outra é mais comum na fala: The warning wasn’t paid attention to.
With modals, infinitives and -ing
The rule doesn’t change with modal verbs or after other verbs: build the passive and keep the little word at the end.A regra não muda com verbos modais nem depois de outros verbos: monte a passiva e mantenha a palavrinha no final.
| Structure | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| modal + be + participle + particle | This problem must be dealt with today. | Esse problema precisa ser resolvido hoje. |
| need to be + participle + particle | The case needs to be looked into. | O caso precisa ser investigado. |
| being + participle + particle | She hates being told off in public. | Ela odeia levar bronca em público. |
| have been + participle + particle | The lights should have been turned off. | As luzes deveriam ter sido apagadas. |
The get passive with phrasal verbs
In informal English, get often replaces be, especially for something bad or unexpected. The particle still stays with the verb.No inglês informal, get muitas vezes substitui o be, principalmente para algo ruim ou inesperado. A partícula continua junto do verbo.
- My cat got run over last year. (Meu gato foi atropelado no ano passado.)
- We got told off for being late. (A gente levou bronca por chegar atrasado.)
- He got kicked out of the club. (Ele foi expulso do clube.)
- Our flight got put off until tomorrow. (Nosso voo foi adiado para amanhã.)
Common Mistakes
Avoid these
✗ The baby was looked by her aunt. ✓ The baby was looked after by her aunt.Sem after, o verbo muda de sentido (look = olhar).
✗ The match was called. ✓ The match was called off.A partícula faz parte do verbo: call off = cancelar.
✗ At my accent was laughed. ✓ My accent was laughed at.A preposição não vai para o começo da frase; ela fica depois do verbo.
✗ The meeting was put it off. ✓ The meeting was put off.Na passiva, o objeto já virou sujeito; não repita com it.
✗ The problem must deal with today. ✓ The problem must be dealt with today.Depois do modal, use be + particípio + preposição.
Quick Summary
| Type | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| verb + preposition | The kids were looked after. | Cuidaram das crianças. |
| phrasal verb | The game was called off. | O jogo foi cancelado. |
| verb + noun + preposition | The plants were taken care of. | Cuidaram das plantas. |
| with by | I was brought up by my grandparents. | Fui criado pelos meus avós. |
| modal | It must be dealt with today. | Isso precisa ser resolvido hoje. |
| get passive | We got told off. | A gente levou bronca. |
Practice Time
Quiz