Some practical expenenees in teaching active and passive voice to students

.

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ

TRƯỜNG THPT HÀM RỒNG

INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE

SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES IN TEACHING
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE TO STUDENTS AT HAM
RONG HIGH SCHOOL

Người thực hiện: Nguyễn Văn Toàn
Chức vụ: TTCM – Giáo viên
SKKN thuộc lĩnh vực môn: Tiếng Anh

THANH HOÁ NĂM 2020


.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS
PART A: INTRODUCTION

PAGES
1

I. Reason for choosing the topic

1

II. Aims of the research

1

III. Objects of the research

1

IV. Scope of the research

1

V. Research method

1
PART B: CONTENT

2

I. Theoretical background

2

1. Definition of active voice

2

2. Definition of passive voice

2

II. Five steps used to teach Passive and Active voice

3

III. The structure of active and passive voice

5

IV. How to change regular active sentences into passive ones

5

1. The rules of changing into passive voice

5

2. Students should note some problems

6

V. Irregular passive voice

7

1. Causative form

7

2. Verbs of opinion

7

3. Verbs of perception

8

4. The passive voice with NEED

8

5. The passive voice with MAKE/SEE/HEAR

8

6. Structure “Let somebody do something”

8

7. Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing + object + V-inf

9


.

8. Verbs: advise/order/recommend/urge + O(1)+to +V+O(2)

9

9. Verbs: advise/insist/recommend/suggest/decide + V-ing +O

9

10. Imperative verbs in passive voice

9

11. Structure: It is your duty to + V

9

12. Structure: It is impossible to + V

9

13. Structure: It is necessary to + V

9

V. Results

10

VI. Finding

11

PART C: CONCLUSION AND PROPOSALS

11

1. Conclusion

11

2. Proposals

12


.

PART A
I.

Reason for choosing the topic.
English is known as the worldwide spoken language nowadays and almost all of

the people need to know this language so as to communicate and integrate.
Therefore, English has become a compulsory subject applied across the whole
educational system in Vietnam.
When learning English, students focus on learning active voice sentences and
active structures. It is usually the easiest way for them to phrase sentences. But
when students progress in their study, they will encounter passive voice sentences,
especially irregular passive structures. To do the multiple choice exercises well,
they need to understand the issues relating to active and passive voice in English.
Passive voice is one of the most difficult grammar points that make students
confused so much about both its function and its equivalent meaning when they

translate a passive sentence into an active one in Vietnamese. To help the students
of my school study Passive voice in English more easily, I have chosen “Some
practical experiences in teaching active and passive voice to 12 th grade students
at Ham Rong High School” to be my research theme in this initiative experience.
II.

Aims of the research
I have done this research to help my students know how to use passive voice

correctly not only in their daily communication but also in their exams. Moreover, this
research may encourage students to be interested in learning English and I hope to
share teaching experiences with my colleagues.
III.

Objects of the research

This research is concerned with the active and passive voice and their usage.
IV.

Scope of the research
This research is done in the process of teaching active and passive voice

and their usage to 12th grade students at Ham Rong High School.
1


.

V.

Research method

This research is done by reading reference books applied in teaching, observing and
drawing out experiences.
PART B: CONTENT
I. The theoretical background
1. Definition of active voice
Generally, we tend to use the active voice – one of the two voices
of verbs (active and passive voice). When the verb of a sentence is in the active
voice, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. In grammar, an
active voice is a type of a clause or sentence in which a subject performs an action
and expresses it through its representative verb. To simply put it, when a subject
performs an action directly, it is in active voice. It then uses transitive verb to show
the action.
By definition, the “voice of a verb tells whether the subject of the sentence
performs the action or is acted upon” (Fowler and Aaron 242). Active voice
involves

agents

performing

the

action

using

action

verbs

(e.g., Protesters unified their efforts to pass the regulation). Passive voice involves
disguised, unknown, or relocated agents acted upon by “to be” and past participle
verbs (e.g., Votes are counted by the volunteers). Helping verbs may also exist in
passive expressions (e.g., Votes have been counted by the volunteers). As shown in
some passive expressions, the agent (volunteers) appears as an object in a
prepositional phrase (by the volunteers). Some passive expressions contain no agent
(e.g., Votes are counted), indicating that it is unknown, unimportant, or unreported.
2. Definition of passive voice
The passive voice is a grammatical voice of verb where what would be the
object of a corresponding active sentence becomes the subject of a sentence in the
passive voice. The passive voice is formed with the appropriate tense of the verb to
2


.

be + past participle. A passive voice is a type of a clause or sentence in which an
action (through verb), or an object of a sentence, is emphasized rather than
its subject. Simply, the subject receives the action of the verb. The emphasis or
focus is on the action, while the subject is not known or is less important.
“Voice refers to whether the subject of a sentence is on the giving or receiving end
of the action”. (Stilman, 2010) “In a passive construction, the person or object that
is actually performing the action may be named in the sentence, but is not the focus
of it.” (Stillman, 2010)
II. Five steps used to teach Passive and Active voice
1. STEP 1: Recognizing the Active Structure
Not all sentences can be changed to the passive voice. Only an active voice
sentence with a direct object can be made passive. Your students will have to

learn to recognize active structures with direct objects before they can
restructure these sentences into the passive voice. In English, the subject
always comes first in the sentence (with some exceptions that we will not
address here). After that is the verb which is sometimes followed by a direct
object and/or an indirect object. Active sentences that have a subject, verb, and
direct object can be restructured using the passive voice. The direct object is
essential because it becomes the subject of the passive sentence, so if an active
sentence does not have a direct object, it cannot be restructured in the passive
voice. To practice determining if an active sentence can be made into a passive
sentence, review the parts of a sentence with your students. Give them several
examples both with and without direct objects. Be sure that everyone can
identify the direct object before moving on to STEP 2.
2. STEP 2: Make the Object the Subject
Restructuring the active to the passive includes two major changes in a
sentence’s structure. The first is taking the direct object of the active
verb/sentence and making it the subject of the passive sentence. Once your
3


.

students can correctly identify the direct object in an active sentence, they
should be able to easily determine the subject of the passive sentence.
3. STEP 3: Changing the Verb
When changing an active sentence to a passive sentence, the tense of the verb
changes. Every passive sentence contains a “be” verb. To change an active
verb to a passive verb, use the correct form of “be” and the past participle of
the original active verb. For example, “eat” becomes “is eaten”, “give”
becomes “was given” and so on. Let your students practice changing active
verbs to passive verbs in various tenses and using them with the correct

passive subject.
4. STEP 4: When the Subject Remains
If a speaker or writer wants to include the noun performing the action (the
subject in the active sentence) in a passive construction, they must include it in
a “by” phrase after the passive verb. The original subject becomes the object of
the prepositional phrase, and it comes after the passive verb. Take this active
sentence, for example. “George Orwell wrote 1984.” George Orwell is the
subject (performing the action of writing). In the passive sentence, 1984 was
written by George Orwell, this subject appears in a “by” phrase after the main
verb. The by phrase is optional in the passive sentence though in this case the
information (the author’s name) is important and should be included.
5. STEP 5: When to Use the Passive
Though we are usually told to use active sentences, there are times when using
the passive is actually more logical. In active sentences, both the one
performing the action (the subject of the active verb) and the recipient of the
action (the direct object of the active verb) are important. Passive sentences are
different. Using a passive sentence makes sense when the noun performing the
action is not important. For example, “The test was administered.” (It doesn’t
matter who administered the test.) Also, if a person does not know who
4


.

performed the action, the passive is the construction to use. “My purse was
stolen.” (We do not know who stole the purse.) A third reason to use the
passive voice is that the one performing the action is obvious. “She was fired.”
(She could only be fired by her boss.)
III. The structure of active and passive voice
Active voice

Passive voice

S
O(S)

V
BE

O
V-ed/PII

IV. How to change regular active sentences into passive ones

Tenses

Active voive

Passive voice

Present simple

S + V(s/es) + O

S + am/is/are + P2

Present continuous

S + am/is/are + V-ing + O

S + am/is/are + being + P2

Present perfect

S + have/has + P2 + O

S + have/has + been + P2

Past simple

S + V(ed/Ps) + O

S + was/were + P2

Past continuous

S + was/were + V-ing + O

S + was/were + being + P2

Past Perfect

S + had + P2 + O

S + had + been + P2

Future simple

S + will + V-inf + O

S + will + be + P2

Future perfect

S + will + have + P2 + O

S + will + have + been + P2

Near future

S + am/is/are going to + V-inf + O

S + am/is/are going to + be + P2
5


.

Modal verbs

S + Modal verbs + V-inf. + O

S + Modal verbs + be + P2

1. The rules of changing into passive voice
- Determination of S , V , O in the initiative .
- The object (O) of the active is the subject (S) of the passive.
- Putting the verb to be into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past
participle of the active.
- The subject of the active verb becomes the ‘agent’ of the passive verb. The agent is
very often not mentioned. When it is mentioned it is preceded by by and placed at the

end of the clause.
Example 1: My father waters this flower every morning.
 This flower is watered (by my father) every morning.
Example 2: John invited Fiona to his birthday party last night.
 Fiona was invited to John's birthday party last night.
Example 3: Her mother is preparing the dinner in the kitchen.
 The dinner is being prepared (by her mother) in the kitchen.
2. Students should note some problems
2.1. When S of the active is the pronouns (he, she, you, they, we..) and some words
such as “someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody” is omitted by O
in the passive, if not stated agent.
Example 1: Someone has sent me the flowers.
 I have been sent the flowers.
Example 2: She must do all homework before going to bed.
 All homework must be done before going to bed.
2.2. Adverb of place is placed before “by + O”.
Example 1: The police found him in the forest.
 He was found in the forest by the police.
2.3. Adverb of time is placed after “by + O”.
6


.

Example: Mr Brown bought the house last week.
 The house was bought by Mr Brown last week.
2.4. Adverb of manner is placed between “BE + PP”.
Example: The boss has treated them badly.
 They have been badly treated by the boss.
2.5. Note that in theory a sentence containing a direct and an indirect object, such as:

Example: He sent me a postcard. This sentence could have two passive forms
1.  I was sent a postcard.
2.  A postcard was sent to me.
Note: The first of these is much the more usual.
V. Irregular Passive voice
1. Causative form:

“Have” or “Get”.

1.1. Have
* Active:

S + have + somebody + V-inf + something.

* Passive:

S + have + something + past participle

Example: Active: I had him repair the roof yesterday.
Passive:  I had the roof repaired yesterday.
1.2. Get
* Active: S + get + somebody + to- inf + something
* Passive: S + get + something + past participle
Example: Active: I will get her to cut my hair
Passive:  I will get my hair cut.
2. Verbs of Opinion: say, think, believe, know, report, rumour, consider, expect,
report..
* Active:

S1 + V of pinion + (that) + clause (S2+V + O)

7


.

* Passive:
or:

It + be + V of opinion (PP) + (that) + clause.
S2 + be + V of opinion (PP) +

to-inf
to have + PP

Example 1: Active: They say that John is the brightest student in class.
Passive: → It is said that John is the brightest student in class.
Passive: → John is said to be the brightest student in class.
Example 2: Active: They knew that Mary won the competition.
Passive: → It was known that Mary won the competition
Passive: → Mary was known to have won the competition.
3. Verbs of perception: see, watch, hear, .......
* Active:

S + V + O + bare - inf / V-ing

* Passive:

S + Be + V (PP) + to-inf/ V-ing

Example 1:

Active: People saw him steal your car.
Passive: → He was seen to steal your car.

Example 2: Active: The teacher is watching them working.
Passive: → They are being watched working by the teacher.
4. The passive voice with NEED
After the verb “need + V-ing” the sentence is passive meaning (Or need + to be + PP)
Example: The windows need cleaning
(Or The windows need to be cleaned)
* The verbs “require and want” is the same as “need”
Example: These letters require typing
(Or These letters require to be typed)
8


.

5. The passive voice with MAKE/SEE/HEAR
MAKE/SEE/HEAR is followed by To – infinitive when it is used in the passive
voice.
Example: Active: My boss made me work hard
Passive: → I was made to work hard by my boss
6. Structure “Let somebody do something”
Example: Active: He let me go
Passive: I was let go/ I was allowed to go
7. Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing + object + V-inf.
Active: S + like/would like/would love/want/wish + somebody + to V + O
Passive: S + like/would like/ would love/want/wish + O + to be + V-pp + (by sb)
8. Some verbs: advise/order/recommend/urge + O(1) + to +V +O(2) are changed

into passive in two ways.
- Active: S + advise/order/recommend/urge + O(1) + to +V +O(2).
- Passive: O(1) + be + advised/ordered/recommended/urged to +V +O(2).
OR: S + advise/order/recommend/urge + that + O(2) + should be +V-pp.
9. Some verbs: advise/insist/recommend/suggest/decide + V-ing + O
- Active: S + advise/insist/recommend/suggest/decide + V-ing + O
- Passive: S + advise/insist/recommend/suggest/decide that + O should be + V-pp
10. Imperative verbs in passive voice
- Active: V + O… / Do not + V + O + …
- Passive: Let + O + be + Ved/pp / Let + O + NOT + be + V-ed/pp
Example 1: Put your pen down → Let your pen be put down.
Example 2: Do not take this item. → Let this item not be taken.
11. It's your duty to + Vinf
 Passive: You're supposed to + Vinf
Example:

It's your duty to make tea today.
9


.

 You are supposed to make tea today.
12. It's impossible to + Vinf
 Passive: S + can't + be + P2
Example: It's impossible to solve this problem.
 This problem can't be solved.

13. It's necessary to + Vinf
 Passive: S + should/ must + be +P2

Example:

It's necessary for you to type this letter.
 This letter should/ must be typed by you.

V. RESULTS
At Ham Rong School I teach English in four classes: 12B1, 12B9, 12B11 and
12B12. In these classes, 12B1 only learn English to pass National examination for
GCSE. The other three classes learn English to pass entrance examination into
university. During my teaching course, I have taught them basic knowledge of
active and passive voice in English.
It is undeniable that with different objects of students, the requirement of
knowledge is also different. With students studying not very well and badly, or
students learning English to pass GCSE exam, I only teach them how to change
regular active voice into passive ones which is included in the textbook. But with
students studying English quite well or excellently to pass entrance examination to
enter university which requires broad knowledge of English, I introduce irregular
passive voice to them clearly.
After teaching " passive voice " to 12th grade students in four classes I have
obtained the following results:

Class

Total

Good

Fair

Normal

Poor

12B1

50 sts

10

20

10

10

12B9

39 sts

22

10

5

2
10


.

12B11

45 sts

25

15

4

1

12B12

48 sts

30

15

3

0

It can be seen from the table that in each class, the number of the students
receiving good marks on the English tests is increasing steadily. As for 12B1 students
who do not use English to pass the entrance examination to enter university, they only
learn how to change regular active to passive voice, the number of students receiving
good marks on test about active and passive voice is only 10 students per total 50

students whereas 12B12 has the biggest number of students getting good marks (30 per
48 students). The most important thing is that when teaching them how to use both
regular and irregular passive voice, students will avoid mistakes doing passive voice
exercises (poor marks: 12B1: 10 students, 12B9: 2 students, 12B11: 1 student, 12B12:
0 student).
VI.

FINDING

Sentences can be active or passive. Mostly we use active sentences in our
conversation, but sometimes we have to use passive sentences. Passive voice plays a
very important part in forming a term exam or an GCSE exam. For example, English
12, unit 4: Lesson E: Language Focus: Exercise 1,2,3 (pages 50,51), English 10, unit
10: Lesson E: Language Focus (page 111), and many other exercises in official
national paper examination to enter university.

PART C: CONCLUTION AND PROPOSALS
1. CONCLUSION
English - Course helps us to increasingly integrate into the modern world. The
language proficiency at a basic level in secondary schools will help high school
students to learn better and can get a good job after graduation. Compared with
previous years, the situation of English teaching has many positive, paying
special attention to training for students four skills: Listening - speaking –
reading - writing and the teaching of grammar also indispensable, not be
underestimated. So teachers are always positive, proactive innovative teaching
11


.

methods, explore, creative ways of organizing teaching to suit each student
subjects and teaching conditions in the locality. But there are still many aspects
need to discuss further measures to be feasible on the basis of theoretical as well
as practical experience of teaching to better, more effective.
The content that I presented above is just the experience itself, the narrow
scope of the study, briefly, so little documentation will definitely flawed. But for
the purpose of improving the quality of education, I hope this subject can
contribute little teaching experience. I hope to receive many valuable comments
from friends and colleagues.

2. THE PROPOSALS
- Schools and classroom should have adequate investment in infrastructure and
teaching facilities to meet the increasing requirements in the education towards
innovation today.
- Teachers must prepare carefully for their lesson by mastering the content, the
focus of the lesson knowledge. They must be scientific editors of exercises on
PowerPoint.
- Students must promote positive elevation in the study. They voluntarily
participate in practice, and are not afraid of making mistakes. The preparation of
the lesson at home of the students is also essential.
- Parents must really be interested in learning English of their children.

12


.

XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ

Thanh Hóa, ngày 10 tháng 5 năm 2020

TRƯỞNG ĐƠN VỊ

Tôi xin cam đoan đây là SKKN của mình viết,
không sao chép nội dung của người khác.
(Ký và ghi rõ họ tên)

Nguyễn Văn Toàn

13


.

REFERENCE
1. English 10 - Education Publishing House- 2006
Hoang Van Van (chief editor)
2. Teaching training materials- Education Publishing House- 2006
Hoang Van Van (chief editor)
3. Preparation for high school graduation and university entrance
exam - Education Publishing House- 2006 - Nguyen Hai Chau (chief
editor)
4. Some types of English tests 10 – Education Publishing House
Do Tuan Minh (chief editor)
5. A course in language teaching – Penny Ur
References
Raimes, A., & Jersey, M. (2009). Keys for Writers. China: Lyn Uhi.
Stilman, A. (2010). Grammatical Correct: The Essential Guide to Spelling, Style,
Usage... Ohio: Writer's Digest Books.
Wilbers, S. (2007). Keys to Great Writing. Ohio: Writer's Digest Books.

Yates, J. (1997). Master the Basic English. Massachusetts: Barron's.
Hương, M. L., & Loan, N. T. ( 2003) Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Anh. Ho Chi Minh city:
Publisher of Youth.
Tuc, H. D. (2003). Vietnamese- English Bilingualism. New York: Routledge Curzon.


.

DANH MỤC
CÁC ĐỀ TÀI SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM ĐÃ ĐƯỢC HỘI ĐỒNG ĐÁNH GIÁ XẾP
LOẠI CẤP SỞ GD&ĐT VÀ CÁC CẤP CAO HƠN XẾP LOẠI TỪ C TRỞ LÊN

Họ và tên tác giả: Nguyễn Văn Toàn
Chức vụ và đơn vị công tác: Giáo viên Trường THPT Hàm Rồng.

TT

1.

Tên đề tài SKKN

“Some techniques of

Kết quả
Cấp đánh
đánh giá
giá xếp loại
xếp loại
(Phòng, Sở,
(A, B,

Tỉnh...)
hoặc C)

Năm học
đánh giá xếp
loại

Sở

C

2014 – 2015

Sở

C

2017 – 2018

teaching and learning
vocabulary”.
2.

“Some strategies used to
teach Reading Skill to 10 th
grade students at Ham Rong
High School”.