EFL 503 Southern New Hampshire University October 11, 2003

Instructor: Dennis Hall MSTEFL Program Chad Detjen

PASSIVE-VOICE LESSON PLAN

Target Group: ESL students at Southern New Hampshire University

Number of Students: 8-10

Length of Lesson: App. 1 hr.

Instructional Objective(s):
• Students will learn how to form the passive voice.
• Students will learn how to differentiate between the passive and active voice.
• Students will learn why and when the passive voice is used.

Materials:
• Strips of paper with active-voice sentences on them
• Handout and overhead on reasons to use the passive voice
• Exercise on using the passive voice

Preparation:
• For preparation, the teacher must prepare strips of paper with active-voice sentences on
them. Second, the teacher must prepare a handout and an overhead on the reasons the
passive voice is used. Next, the teacher must prepare the passive-voice race game. The
teacher must make an active-voice sentence for each student in the class and cut it out on
a slip of paper. Lastly, the teacher must prepare an exercise where the students must
decide on using the passive voice or the active voice. Total preparation time for this
lesson: approximately 30-45 minutes.

Warm-up Activity:
• To introduce the passive voice, I will write two sentences on the board. One will be in the
active voice and the other will be in the passive voice. I will ask the class what is
different between the two sentences. Once the class begins to get ideas going, I will write
the ideas on the board. I will focus the class’ attention on the structure of the two
sentences. Where is the subject? Where is the verb? By doing this, the class will get to
see that in the passive voice sentence the subject is not “doing” the action of the verb like
in the active voice sentence. Last, we will focus on making a rule for forming the passive
tense. By looking at the passive voice sentence, I will go through what each word is and
what the function of the word is until we come up with a formula for forming the passive
voice.
Presentation Activities:

1. The first activity will be to figure out a formula for constructing the passive voice.
Once both of the sentences, from the above activity, are on the board, I will ask the
students how the active voice is constructed. As a class, we will come up with a formula
for the active voice. “Subject + verb + object” Next, we will look at the passive voice
sentence and come up with a formula for it. “Object + be + past participle + preposition
(by) + subject”

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EFL 503 Southern New Hampshire University October 11, 2003
Instructor: Dennis Hall MSTEFL Program Chad Detjen

2. Once the students know to form the passive voice and we have gone over the first
exercise, I will go through reasons why the passive voice is used instead of the active
voice. I will stress to the students that 95% of academic writing is done in the active
voice, but there are certain occasions where the passive voice is used.
A. When agent is obvious, unknown, or unnecessary
B. When the agent is known but writer does not want to mention it.
C. When the agent is general such as everyone or people.
D. When writer wants to emphasize a result

Practice Activities:

1. Once the students go through the formula for the active and passive voice, the class
will play a game involving the formation of the passive voice. The class will be divided
up into two teams. Each team will form a single file in front of the chalkboard. Each
student will have a piece of paper with an active-voice sentence written on it. Once I say,
“GO,” the students must write their sentence on the board in the passive-voice. The first
team to go through each member wins. Once the game is over, we will look at a few
sentences on the board to make sure the class understands how the passive voice is
constructed.

2. Once we have gone through the ways in which writers use the passive voice, I will
give the students an exercise containing all passive-voice sentences. Some of the
sentences should remain in the passive form and other should be changed to the active.
The students will work together to figure out which sentences to leave and which
sentences to change. Students must be prepared to explain their answers. We will go over
this exercise as a class once the students have finished.

Production/Application:

1. As a homework assignment, students will be asked to find a short article in a

newspaper or magazine and look for passive-voice sentences. They will be asked to
underline the sentences and write why they were used in the passive voice and not the
active voice

Post-lesson Monitoring:
• Students will be monitored based on their performance in the exercises as well as with
the homework assignment. Students will be presenting their article in the following class
and pointing out the passive-voice sentences to the class and reasons the passive voice
was used in the article. Also, throughout the year, students’ papers will be checked to see
if they use the passive voice properly and sparingly.

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EFL 503 Southern New Hampshire University October 11, 2003
Instructor: Dennis Hall MSTEFL Program Chad Detjen

REASONS FOR USING THE PASSIVE VOICE

1. Passive voice is used when the agent (doer of an

action) is obvious, unknown, or unnecessary.
a. Oranges are grown in California.
b. Toyotas are made in Japan.
c. Her purse was stolen.

2. Passive voice is used when the agent is known, but

the speaker/writer does not want to mention it.
a. She was given bad advice.
b. A mistake has been made.

3. Passive voice is often used when the agent is very

general such as people or somebody.
a. English is spoken here.
b. The door should be locked at all times.

4. Passive voice is used when the speaker/writer

wants to emphasize a result or emphasize the
receiver of the action instead of the performer.
a. Seven thousand people were killed by the
earthquake
• The earthquake killed 7,000 people.
b. The professor was hit by three snowballs.
• Three snowballs hit the professor.

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EFL 503 Southern New Hampshire University October 11, 2003
Instructor: Dennis Hall MSTEFL Program Chad Detjen

Passive-Voice Race Game

Directions: The class will be divided into two teams. Each member will get
one slip of paper with an active-voice sentence written on it. The team who
changes their sentences into passive voice wins.

1. The teacher gave an assignment.

2. Many people visit Disneyland.

3. The Yankees lost the World Series.

4. The police captured the thief.

5. The referee stopped the game.

6. The pitch hit the batter.

7. The teacher gave a good lecture.

8. The president greeted the crowd.

9. The storm destroyed all the homes.

10. The congressmen cheered the president.

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EFL 503 Southern New Hampshire University October 11, 2003
Instructor: Dennis Hall MSTEFL Program Chad Detjen

Active and Passive Voice Worksheet

Directions: The following sentences are written in passive voice. Write the
reason why the passive voice is used for each sentence. If you think the sentence
should be written in the active voice, re-write the sentence in the active voice. Be
prepared to explain all your answers.

1. The bed was gotten out of by me at 7:30.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

2. 300 passengers were held hostage by the terrorists.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

3. The stage was exited by me only after a long standing ovation.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

4. The lights in the living room were left on last night.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

5. The house was broken into.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

6. I was raised in New Jersey.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

7. The radio program was listened to by me.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

8. The landscaping was installed by the homeowner.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

9. Professor Spence was given bad directions.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

10. The computer was manufactured in Taiwan.

a. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________