Passive voice news articles give students a clear look at how grammar works in the real world – often without us even noticing! In this class, we’ll explore how passive voice in news headlines adds formality and distance from the subject. Get ready to uncover how this grammar structure hides in plain sight!
I thought it made sense to shift from the tech class to the article headings since we all come across tech news a lot. It felt like a natural flow, especially with the passive voice used in some of the headings I borrowed from the BBC website. In this class, we’re diving into the differences between passive and active voice, and encouraging students to play around with changing sentences from one style to the other.
At the end of the blog post, you’ll find a PDF presentation, worksheet, and helpful teacher notes ready to download.
Warmer: Which headline grabs your attention?
Start the class by having everyone check out the article titles, like Dumbphones are wanted by many people or The sperm whale ‘phonetic alphabet’ was revealed by AI. Give them a minute to think about the titles on their own and choose an article that catches their interest the most. Then, pair them up and have them chat about their picks and explain why they chose those articles.
Grammar Focus: Passive or Active?
Next, get into a grammar section where you explore the differences between active and passive voice. This part is all about helping students get a grip on when and how to use the passive voice. This gives students a chance to see how the passive voice is formed in both present and past tenses.
Headline Challenge: Rewrite it actively
Once students understand active and passive voice, have them look at article titles and change them into the active voice. For instance, instead of saying The sperm whale ‘phonetic alphabet’ was revealed by AI, it could be AI revealed the sperm whale ‘phonetic alphabet’. Then, chat about which versions sound better and why the article writers might have picked the passive voice in the first place.
Reading: Match the headline to the article
Work on reading skills by matching an article to the best headline. This task help to check the understanding and see how the passive voice works in academic and journalistic writing. After choosing the best title for the article, look at the missing verbs. Apply what you’ve learned so far and switch the verbs in brackets to the passive voice.
Speaking Task: Ask the passive questions
The last part of the class is all about mixing grammar with speaking skills. Check out three sentences from the article and come up with questions based on them. For example, if we have, Dumbphones reduce distractions compared to traditional smartphones (How), they might ask, How are distractions reduced by using dumbphones instead of smartphones? After they finish that, I put them in pairs again and let them chat about their thoughts on using dumbphones.
This B2-level lesson includes fun activities that help students grasp the passive voice while staying engaged and enjoying the process. Don’t forget to check out the resources, like the presentation, worksheet, and teacher’s notes, by clicking the links below.
How do you incorporate news headlines into your lessons to spark curiosity and engage your students?
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