Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Exercise 1
Read the newspaper article about a crime. Find the answers to the following questions.
a)

Who found the body?

......................................................................................................................................................

b)

Where was the body taken?

......................................................................................................................................................

c)

What is a morgue?
......................................................................................................................................................

d)

How many bodies have been found in the river this year?
......................................................................................................................................................

e)

Do we know who has said that organized crime might be responsible for the crimes?
......................................................................................................................................................

Body found in Black River

The body of a woman of
about 40 years of age was
found floating in the Black
River yesterday afternoon.
A travelling salesman
reported the find at four in
the morning. He called the
police and the body was
taken to the county morgue

where it will be examined

by forensic scientists. The
victim hasnt been
identified yet.
This is the third body
that has been found in the
Black River since the
beginning of the year.
There are theories that

organized crime has been

using the river to get rid of
unwanted competition.
Similar occurrences have
been reported recently in
other nearby towns.
However, many people
think it was suicide.

Exercise 2
Underline the verbs in the article. Which are active and which are passive? Write the active
and passive verbs in the chart.
Active

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Passive

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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Exercise 3
Maria and Dan are visiting their friend Samantha for the weekend. They are looking at an
old painting. Write the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses. Some of them are passive.

Maria:

Whos this?

Dan:

I think its Samanthas mother. She was a good friend of my mothers.

Maria:

Its a beautiful picture.

Dan:

Yes, it (1) ....................................................... (paint) by a famous artist. Shes pretty,

isnt she? Her name was Samantha too, but everyone called her Sam. I cant imagine
anyone calling our friend Samantha Sam, can you?

Maria:

No, I cant. When (2) ....................................................... the picture

....................................................... (paint)?

Dan:

I dont really know. Why?

Maria:

She reminds me of someone. When (3) ....................................................... she

....................................................... (die)?

Dan:

She died when Samantha was a few weeks old. She (4)
....................................................... (find) in the Black River. It (5)
....................................................... (say) she had killed herself, but Samantha (6)
....................................................... (tell) by her father that it was an accident. Lets see
. Maria, she looks like you! Look at her eyes.

Maria:

Thats impossible. My mother died the day I was born.

Dan:

Maybe youre more than just a friend of Samanthas. Maybe youre a relative.

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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Exercise 4
Help the reporter who wrote the following newspaper article improve it. Rewrite the
underlined sentences in the spaces below making them passive.

Midvale Park Opens to the Public

After many years of
preparation, (1) they have
opened Midvale Park. (2)
They established Midvale
Park in 1999 when (3)
they found a unique
ecosystem
around
Midvale Lake. (4) They
isolated the area from the

public and (5) they

encouraged local plants
and animals to reproduce.
(6) They are still
supporting
the
local
animal population today
and (7) they will increase
it yearly. ( 8) They can
re-introduce about two

new species a month. (9)

They report that the
ecosystem system is
strong enough for the
public to visit now and
(10) they are opening
new related exhibits at
the museum next week.

1.

....................................................................................

2.

.................................................................................... in 1999

3.

when .................................................................................... around Midvale Lake.

4.

.................................................................................... from the public.

5.

and .................................................................................... .

6.

.................................................................................... today and

7.

.................................................................................... yearly.

8.

.................................................................................... a month.

9.

......................................................................... the ecosystem system is strong enough.

10.

.and .................................................................................... at the museum next week.

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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Exercise 5
Work in pairs.
Student A:
You are a newspaper reporter. Interview a witness to a bank robbery (Student B). Use the notes to
ask your questions. You made these notes when you interviewed another witness, a twelve-year-old
boy. You aren't convinced he really saw what happened. Discover if the facts you got were true or
not. Also try to get additional information.
Take notes of the witness answers. Youll have to write the article later.
Bank robbery
23 thieves?
One came in the back of the bank
All had guns
No money was taken
One teller was injured
The thieves ran out the back
They couldnt open the safe
The bank manager called the
police
When you finish the interview, work with your partner and write the article. It is a newspaper
article so use the passive whenever logical.
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
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................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Student B:
You were a witness to a bank robbery. A newspaper reporter (Student A) is going to interview you.
Use the notes below to answer. Add additional information if possible. Use your imagination.

Bank robbery
There were four thieves
All came in the front door of the bank with guns in their hands
They took the money in your wallet and your watch
The teller couldnt open the safe.
No one was injured
The thieves ran out the front and got in a blue car
You called the police on your cell phone
The bank manager wasnt in the bank

When you finish the interview, work with your partner and write the article. It is a newspaper
article so use the passive whenever logical.
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
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................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................

TEACHERS NOTES & KEY

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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Aim: To use and review the active and passive voice in various verb tenses.
Topic: Newspaper articles
Lesson timings: Exercises 13: 25 minutes; Exercises 46: 10 minutes each; Exercise 7: 20
minutes; Total: 75 minutes.
Exercises 13
These are designed to rapidly review the meaning and formation of the passive. Allow the students
to explore the language in the article as they do the activities.

Exercise 1
These are comprehension questions to be sure students understand the article. Check any unknown
vocabulary.
Key
a A traveling salesman
b The morgue
c A place bodies are taken for identification and investigation
d3
e No, we dont know who said it. It sounds like gossip.
In English, the passive voice is commonly used in newspaper articles and scientific papers. We use
it when we dont know who did the action.
We form the passive with a form of the verb be + a past participle.
Columbus discovered America in 1492. (active)
America was discovered in 1492 (by Columbus). (passive)

Exercise 2
Ask the students which of the verbs is active and which passive. Call attention to the formation of
each type of verb. Ask students the verb tense of each verb.
Key
was found past passive
reported past active
called past active
was taken past passive
hasnt been identified present perfect passive
has been found present perfect passive
are present active
has been using present perfect progressive passive
has been reported present perfect passive
Key
Active
Passive
reported, called, think

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was found, was taken, will be examined, hasn't been

identified, has been found, has been used, have been
reported

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Newspaper reports: practising the passive

Exercise 3
This practice is designed to reinforce the ideas presented in exercises 1 and 2.
Key
1 was painted
2 was ... painted
3 did ... die
4 was found
5 was said
6 was told
You use the passive when it isnt important who did an action. What is important is the action itself.
They said she killed herself. Who is they? We dont know who said it, so we can use the
passive:
It was said she killed herself.
If someone specific did the action, we use the active or put the person who did the action after
by This indicates who did the action, but emphasizes that the action is in reality more important
than who did it.
Her father told her that it was an accident.
She was told by her father that it was an accident.

Exercise 4
This exercise practices when to use the passive voice. While correcting, emphasize that the passive
is usually used when we dont know or dont care about who said something. Ask the students who
said what is reported in the article.
The grammar explanation on the previous page also presents the use of the by ___ phrase that is
used when the person who does an action is less important than the action itself.
Key
1 Midvale Park has been opened.
2 Midvale Park was established in 1999
3 when a unique ecosystem was found around Midvale Lake.
4 The area was isolated from the public.
5 and local plants and animals were encouraged to reproduce.
6 The local animal population is still being supported today and
7 it will be increased yearly.
8 About two new species can be re-introduced a month.
9 It is reported that the ecosystem is strong enough.
10 .and new related exhibits are being opened at the museum next week.

Exercise 5
This activity allows students to try out being newspaper reporters while working in pairs. Student
A is a newspaper reporter and Student B witnessed a bank robbery.
In the first part Student A interviews Student B. Student A uses notes from a previous interview to
design the questions. Student B has notes about the crime that was witnessed.
In the second part, A and B work together to write the newspaper article. They can use the articles
in earlier exercises as models. Encourage the use of the passive voice.

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