Speaking:
Rewriting for the Passive Voice
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
20 minutes
Aim
Students will practice converting active sentences into passive structures, including formal and advanced passive constructions.
Materials
• A set of active sentences (on paper or digital slides)
• A reference sheet with advanced passive forms (e.g., It is said that…, He is thought to…, The project is believed to have been completed…)
Preparation
• Prepare a list of complex active sentences from news articles, academic writing, or formal reports.
• Ensure examples include different passive structures (simple, continuous, perfect, modal, causative).
Activity Breakdown
1. Students work in pairs, taking turns to transform active sentences into advanced passive structures.
2. They compare their versions with a partner and discuss any differences.
3. They justify why certain passive forms may be more appropriate than others.
Instructions
1. Look at the active sentence on your card.
2. Rewrite it using an advanced passive structure.
3. Compare your answer with your partner and discuss any differences.
4. Justify your choice of passive form—why is it appropriate?
5. Share one or two of your sentences with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Why might we choose a passive form instead of an active one?”
• “What effect does using an advanced passive structure have on the tone of the sentence?”
Examples
• Active: They believe the company will launch a new product next year.
• Passive: The company is believed to be launching a new product next year.
• Active: People say the Prime Minister has made a decision.
• Passive: It is said that the Prime Minister has made a decision.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Provide sentences requiring causative or complex passive structures (have/get something done).
• Easier: Provide guided transformation hints with key verbs.
Error Correction
• Teacher monitors discussions and provides corrections or alternatives during feedback.
Writing:
Passive Voice Story Challenge
Grouping:
Time:
Individual
30 minutes
Aim
Students will write a short narrative using advanced passive structures.
Materials
• Writing prompts requiring passive voice
• A model text for reference
Preparation
• Prepare story prompts where passive is necessary (A crime was committed, but by whom?).
• Provide a reference sheet with passive structures.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students choose a prompt and write a short narrative.
2. They incorporate different passive structures (modal, perfect, causative).
3. They exchange stories and identify each other’s passive forms.
Instructions
1. Choose a writing prompt and brainstorm ideas.
2. Write a short story using at least five different passive structures.
3. Exchange stories with a partner and underline passive sentences.
4. Discuss whether each passive use was appropriate.
5. Edit your story based on feedback and share with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Who is the focus of the sentence in passive voice, the doer or the receiver?” (The receiver)
• “Do we always need to include the agent (who did the action) in passive voice?” (No, only if it’s necessary for meaning)
• “What verb form do we always use in passive voice?” (Be + past participle)
• “How would you change ‘People believe he stole the money’ into the passive?” (He is believed to have stolen the money.)
• “Can we use passive voice with modals? How?” (Yes, e.g., The project must be finished by Friday.)
Examples
• A valuable painting was stolen from the museum…
• A strange experiment was conducted in a secret lab…
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Require students to use at least three different types of passive structures (e.g., modal passive, causative passive, passive with reporting verbs).
• Easier: Provide sentence starters or a model story where students only need to transform certain verbs into passive.
• Variation: Turn this into a collaborative writing activity, where each student writes a part of the story, ensuring passive voice is used throughout.
Error Correction
• Teacher provides targeted feedback on passive usage.
Listening:
Passive Reporting Headlines
Grouping:
Time:
Small groups (3–4 students)
25 minutes
Aim
Students will practice using passive voice in reported speech by rewording and presenting news headlines.
Materials
• A set of real or fictional news headlines
• A whiteboard or digital presentation tool
Preparation
• Collect or create headlines that require passive structures for reporting (“Scientists claim a new planet has been discovered.” → “A new planet is claimed to have been discovered by scientists.”).
Activity Breakdown
1. Students receive news headlines and rewrite them using passive voice.
2. They present their reworded headlines as a “news report” to their group.
3. Other students guess what the original headline might have been.
Instructions
1. Read the news headline aloud.
2. Transform it into an appropriate passive structure.
3. Read your new passive version to the group.
4. Your group will guess the original headline.
5. Discuss how passive voice changes the tone of the news.
Concept Checking Questions
• “How does using the passive affect the way the information is presented?”
• “Does the passive voice remove responsibility from the subject?”
Examples
• Active: Experts say global warming is accelerating.
• Passive: Global warming is said to be accelerating.
• Active: The police have arrested a suspect in the case.
• Passive: A suspect has been arrested in the case.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Use more complex news excerpts requiring multiple passive structures.
• Easier: Provide partial transformations for students to complete.
Error Correction
• Teacher highlights well-formed passive structures and provides feedback on unclear transformations.
Reading:
Passive Investigation
Grouping:
Time:
Individual, then pairs
20 minutes
Aim
Students will analyze a formal article, identifying and interpreting passive voice structures.
Materials
• A printed or digital academic/news article
• Highlighters or underlining tools
Preparation
• Select a text that contains frequent passive constructions (It has been determined that…, The study was conducted…).
• Prepare discussion questions about passive usage.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students read the text and highlight all passive structures.
2. They categorize passive forms (simple, continuous, perfect, causative).
3. They discuss why the passive voice is used in specific contexts.
Instructions
1. Read the article carefully.
2. Highlight all passive structures.
3. Classify them into different types (e.g., simple past passive, perfect passive).
4. Discuss with your partner why the writer used passive voice.
5. Rewrite one paragraph in active voice and compare the differences.
Concept Checking Questions
• “What kind of text uses passive structures the most?”
• “Does the passive voice make the writing more formal or less formal?”
Examples
• The results of the experiment have been published in a scientific journal.
• A new law was introduced to regulate environmental pollution.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Provide a text with mixed active and passive sentences and ask students to rewrite the entire passage in a formal passive style.
• Easier: Highlight passive structures in advance and ask students to classify them instead of finding them independently.
• Variation: Assign different sections of the text to different pairs and have them present their findings to the class.
Error Correction
• Class discussion on how passive changes readability and formality.