passive
pre-intermediate level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide clarification of the present and past passive voice in the context of inventions and discoveries.
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide accuracy speaking practice using the passive voice to talk about inventions and discoveries.
Procedure (33-43 minutes)
I will show students pictures of famous inventions and their inventors. I will ask them, "Which invention do you think is the most important?" and "Which invention do you use every day?" Students will discuss the questions in pairs and then share their opinions with the class
I will show students the pictures again and write two model sentences on the board: "Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone." and "The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell." I will ask students to compare the two sentences by asking questions such as, "What is different?" and "Which sentence focuses on the invention?" I will underline the verb phrases and highlight the passive structure without explaining the rule
Using the sentences on the board, I will ask CCQs to elicit the meaning: "Are we focusing on the inventor or the invention?" (The invention.) "Is the action more important than the doer?" (Yes.) "Do we always need to mention the person?" (No.) "Which sentence talks about the present? Which one talks about the past?" I will then elicit the form by asking students to identify to be verb and the past participle. I will guide them to produce the structures: Subject + am/is/are + past participle (+ by + agent) and Subject + was/were + past participle (+ by + agent). I will drill the model sentences chorally and individually, highlighting the pronunciation of the contracted forms and the past participles.
Students will open their books to page 145 and complete the gap-filling and sentence rewriting exercises individually. After they finish, they will compare their answers in pairs. Finally, I will check the answers with the whole class and provide feedback on any common mistakes.
Students will work in pairs and think of different places in their city (e.g., a hospital, a school, a restaurant, a bank, or a gym). They will describe what happens there using the passive voice without saying the name of the place. Their partners will listen, ask follow-up questions, and guess the place. I will monitor the students, take notes on common language errors, and provide delayed feedback after the activity.
