Unveiling the Power of Passive Voice

• English
• Secondary Education
• Age 13

Unveiling the Power of Passive Voice

Learning Objective

Understand the concept of passive voice, its formation, and usage in sentences.

What do you already know about passive voice?

What is Passive Voice?

Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. The object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence.

Formation of Passive Voice

Passive voice is formed using a form of the verb 'to be' and the past participle of the main verb. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

Active vs. Passive Voice

In active voice, the subject performs the action stated by the verb, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

Usage of Passive Voice

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action being performed rather than the doer of the action. It is also used when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

Identifying Passive Voice

Passive voice can be identified by the use of 'to be' (is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Transforming Active to Passive Voice

To change an active voice sentence to passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, the verb is changed to a form of 'to be' plus the past participle of the main verb.

Avoiding Passive Voice Overuse

While passive voice has its uses, overusing it can lead to unclear and wordy sentences. It's important to maintain a balance between active and passive voice.

Benefits of Using Passive Voice

Passive voice can be used to create formal or impersonal tone, shift focus to the receiver of the action, or when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.

Common Mistakes in Using Passive Voice

Common mistakes include using passive voice when the subject is clear, or using it excessively, making the writing unclear and less engaging.

Interactive Exercise: Spot the Passive Voice

Students will be given a passage and asked to identify and underline the passive voice sentences within it.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points about passive voice and its usage in sentences.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.