A detailed lesson plan on "active passive voice"

 

Lesson Plan: Active and Passive Voice

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to define active and passive voice.
• Students will be able to identify active and passive voice sentences.
• Students will be able to rewrite active and passive voice sentences.

Materials:

• Whiteboard or projector
• Markers or pens
• Handout with active and passive voice sentences (optional)

Procedure:

Warm-up:

• Ask students to write down a sentence describing something they did yesterday.
• Have students share their sentences with the class and identify the subject and verb of each sentence.

Introduction:

• Tell students that today they will be learning about active and passive voice.
• Define active and passive voice:
  • Active voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb.
  • Passive voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb.

Examples:

• Active voice: The dog chased the cat.
• Passive voice: The cat was chased by the dog.

Identifying active and passive voice sentences:

• Give students a handout with active and passive voice sentences (optional) or write a few sentences on the board.
• Ask students to identify the subject and verb of each sentence and determine whether the sentence is in active or passive voice.

Rewriting active and passive voice sentences:

• Show students how to rewrite active and passive voice sentences.
  • To rewrite an active voice sentence in passive voice, make the subject the object of the sentence and add a form of the verb "to be" (is, am, are, was, were, be, been) and the agent of the action (the person or thing that performed the action).
  • To rewrite a passive voice sentence in active voice, make the agent of the action the subject of the sentence and remove the form of the verb "to be."

Activity:

• Divide students into pairs or small groups.
• Give each group a set of cards with active and passive voice sentences (optional) or write a few sentences on the board.
• Ask students to rewrite each sentence in the opposite voice.
• Have students share their rewritten sentences with the class.

Assessment:

• Give students a quiz or test to assess their understanding of active and passive voice.

Test:

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following sentences is in active voice? (a) The ball was thrown by the boy. (b) The boy threw the ball. (c) The ball was thrown. (d) The ball was caught by the boy.

2. Which of the following sentences is in passive voice? (a) The teacher gave the students a test. (b) The students were given a test by the teacher. (c) The test was given to the students by the teacher. (d) All of the above

3. Which of the following is a good reason to use passive voice? (a) To make the writing more concise. (b) To focus on the action rather than the person or thing performing the action. (c) To avoid naming the person or thing performing the action. (d) All of the above

True/False

4. Active voice sentences are always stronger and more concise than passive voice sentences. (False)

5. Passive voice sentences should never be used. (False)

Short Answer

6. Rewrite the following sentence in passive voice: The teacher gave the students a test.

7. Rewrite the following sentence in active voice: The ball was thrown by the boy.

8. Why might you choose to use passive voice in a sentence?

Essay

9. Write a short paragraph explaining the difference between active and passive voice and when to use each.

10. Give two examples of each type of voice sentence.

Answers:

Multiple Choice

1. (b)
2. (b)
3. (d)

True/False

4. False
5. False

Short Answer

6. The students were given a test by the teacher.
7. The boy threw the ball.
8. You might choose to use passive voice in a sentence when you want to focus on the action rather than the person or thing performing the action, or when you want to avoid naming the person or thing performing the action.

9. Active voice sentences are sentences in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb. Passive voice sentences are sentences in which the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb.

   Active voice sentences are generally stronger and more concise than passive voice sentences. For example, the following sentence is in active voice:

   The dog chased the cat.

   This sentence is stronger and more concise than the following passive voice sentence:

   The cat was chased by the dog.

   The active voice sentence is stronger because it puts the emphasis on the dog, which is the subject of the sentence and the one performing the action. The passive voice sentence is more concise because it removes the word "by" and the agent of the action (the dog).

   However, there are times when it is appropriate to use passive voice. For example, you might use passive voice if you want to:

   • Focus on the action rather than the person or thing performing the action. For example:

   The mistakes were corrected.

   • Avoid naming the person or thing performing the action. For example:

   The decision was made.

   • When the agent of the action is unknown or unimportant. For example:

   The door was left open.

   Here are two examples of each type of voice sentence:

   Active voice:

   • The teacher gave the students a test.
   • The boy threw the ball.
   • The dog chased the cat.
   • The police arrested the suspect.
   • The doctor examined the patient.

   Passive voice:

   • The students were given a test by the teacher.
   • The ball was thrown by the boy.
   • The cat was chased by the dog.
   • The suspect was arrested by the police.
   • The patient was examined by the doctor.

   When using passive voice, it is important to make sure that the sentence is still clear and concise. You should also avoid overusing passive voice, as this can make your writing sound weak and impersonal.

    

   Here are some online exercises on active and passive voice:

10. GrammarBook.com has a variety of exercises on active and passive voice, including multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and sentence rewriting exercises.
11. EnglishClub.com has a number of interactive exercises on active and passive voice, including quizzes, games, and puzzles.
12. ESL.Fisherman.de has a variety of exercises on active and passive voice, including fill-in-the-blank, sentence rewriting, and matching exercises.
13. LearnEnglishBritishCouncil.org has a number of interactive exercises on active and passive voice, including quizzes and games.
14. Quizizz.com has a variety of quizzes on active and passive voice, which you can use to practice or test your knowledge.

Essay

Active voice sentences are sentences in which the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb