Job Discussion Forums

[Djob20]

I have to teach the �"passive voice" to a lower intermediate/intermediate class this week, and now that I think I have learnt how and when to use it myself, I am planning the lesson. The woman organising the session wants a large part of the class (its a holiday camp for learning English) to be made up of games-

So my question is this.

Could anyone suggest a game which can in some way said to be practicing the more basic elements of the passive tense?

Any input much appreciated

[ls650]

I don't know about a 'game', but I've found this activity quite helpful - and most students find it more interesting because it can be customized with the students' names. http://www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/grammar/passivecards.htm

Obviously some of the sentences are for upper-intermediate/advanced students, but you can modify this to suit your purposes.

[Djob20]

Thanks, that should work. I think with some major adapting it could be good, and I think it passes as a game, particularly if I add a prize at the end.

I have never done a lesson on the passive before, and I will be glad when its over, even though Im gonna keep the grammar part VERY simple.

Thanks again.

(ps, any other ideas on games most welcome as well)

[coffeedrinker]

I didn't look into the other activity posted so I apologize if this is similar: get some trivia information - it would be easiest to collect it from an activity that is already made for the passive (I think English File and Rewards Resource packs have some) - and make it into a quiz.

You could either make sentences and cut them up, give students several and they have to match them correctly and then read them out to get points (20,000 shoes a day are / made in Italy, The first gold was / discovered in Utah in 1849 or whatever).

Or, you could give them true/false passive statements that first they have to make into correct passive sentences (20,000 shoes a day/ make / Italy) - they get one point if they give a correct sentence and another point if they correctly guess if it is true or false. For a lower level, I'd keep all of the sentences passive, just change whether it's past simple or present simple passive and maybe singular or plural.

[Djob20]

Thanks for the ideas coffee drinker. The quiz I would particularly like to do, but as I can't get hold of any trivia already made for the passive I will probably give that a miss. Cheers

[CMB]

You could do something with before and after pictures- clean room /messy room or desert island / overdeveloped tourist spot and have a contest to see which team can list the most changes (7 hotels were built, the bed was made, the window was broken, etc.) Are they kids or adults?

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

What about 'There are/were more hotels' ... 'The bed is/was untidy' ??

Or the more familiar:

'hotel' ... 'bed no clean'

[Djob20]

CMB - They are teenagers, ages 12 -17 more or less. Thanks, thats sounds like a really good idea, i am making the images now...

Sheik, thanks as well

[denise]

[Djob20]

Denise, at first sight your idea seemed even better (no prep time) but then I thought, won't I have to take loads of objects with me into the classroom. It could be a bare classroom, moving around teenagers stuff could be risky, and I can't only move or remove say a poster, the board pens......

Am I talking sense?

[denise]

[Djob20]

Ok cool, I think I will give that a go. Cheers Denise