One method to help students solve exercises of passive voice effectively

One method to help students solve exercises of passive voice effectively 1 INDEX Page PART A INTRODUCTION 2 I Reasons for choosing the theme 2 II Aims of the research 2 III Scope and objects 3 IV Rese[.]

INDEX Page PART A: INTRODUCTION I Reasons for choosing the theme…………………… ……………….2 II Aims of the research ………………………………… …………… III Scope and objects …………… ……………………………….… IV Research methods .…………………………………………….…….3 PART B: CONTENT…………………………………………………… I The theoretical background ………………… ……………………… The definition of the active voice ………………………………… …4 2.The definition of the passive voice The differences between a passive sentence and an active sentence Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs………………………….… …5 II How to use passive sentences.……………………………………… The use of passive sentences……………………… ……………… Passive structures……………………………………………….…… III How to change active sentences into passive ones… …… ……… The ways to change an active sentence into a passive one……….… Students should note some problems ……………………………… Practice…………………………………………………………….…10 Special types of passive voice …………………………………… 10 PART C CONCLUSION - REQUEST ………………………….… 18 References …………………… ………………………………………20 SangKienKinhNghiem.net PART 1: INTRODUCTION I REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE RESEARCH 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 is a compulsory subject applied across the whole higher educational system in Vietnam When learning English, students focus on learning active voice structures It is usually the easiest way for them to phrase sentences but as students progress in their studies, they will encounter passive voice sentences Since this is an entirely new structure, spend plenty of time on the introduction and conduct several comprehension checks along the way In secondary school English program, the passive is a vital part of knowledge, in the graduation exam To the multiple choice exercises on the passive well, the students need to understand the issues relating to the active and passive sentences in English, making the switch from exercise to exercise self-talk test So I chose the theme " One method to help students solve exercises of passive voice effectively " to be the research problems in this experience initiative II AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE RESEARCH Aims With the reasons above in my mind, the specific aims of the research accordingly are: 1.1 To help the students improve the usage of the passive voice and recognize the differences between the active voice and the passive one 1.2 To clear the differences between the intransitive verbs and transitive verbs 1.3 To encourage the students to use the language they have learnt to solve the communicative tasks 1.4 To encourage the students to be interested in learning English Objects: This subject is concerned with the passive voice and its usage III SCOPE In secondary school English program, passive sentences are to be taught in three grades: 8A, 8B and 9B In this theme, I just focus on some theoretical problems of passive sentence structure, usage use, how to switch from passive to proactive, several special in the passive and some writing assignments, the corresponding multiple choice quiz to reinforce knowledge section above, to help students understand and grasp the basic knowledge and advanced passive sentences in English so that they can make good the multiple choice quiz format of passive sentences in English IV RESEARCHING METHOD SangKienKinhNghiem.net I researched this topic based on the following grounds: - Based on actual teaching - Based on a number of references to the passive - Based and some opinions of my colleagues Initial survey In the 2017-2018 school year, I was assigned to teach English in grades 8A, 8B, and 9B For students in grades 9, they were acquainted with the passive secondary level, and grades learnt the passive voice at the first time At first students found it difficult to recognize which sentence is formed in active voice and which sentence is in passive voice Therefore, I have studied the passive voice and the active one in the first part Then I would like to mention the differences between the transitive verbs and intransitive ones in the way to change from an active form to a passive form or from a passive form to an active one Finally, I make a list of the structures in the passive voice Last, the conclusion is the summary of what is in the research and the comments on the finding of this subject SangKienKinhNghiem.net PART B CONTENT I/ THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The definition of the active voice: a Active voice definition: The active voice is a style of writing where the subject completes the action of the sentence b What does active voice mean? In the active voice, the subject always “does” the action of the sentence Chronologically, the subject will come before the verb in the sentence Examples : a, He is watering flowers b, Jane makes pancakes every Sunday In each of these sentences, the subject comes before the verb and object The subject is “doing” the verb in the sentence This is called the active voice c How to write an sentence in active voice: Active sentences are formed when the subject completes the action of the sentence Whether or not the subject is the first word of the sentence, active voice is used if the subject “does” the verb d How To Form an Active Voice Sentence: S + V + (O) - Start with a subject - Add a verb (after the subject) - Add any modifiers e Active Voice Example: - Grandpa - Grandpa arrived - Grandpa>arrived Yesterday, Grandpa arrived at our house The definition of the passive voice a Passive voice definition: The passive voice is a style of writing where what would be the object of a sentence becomes the subject of the sentence b What does passive voice mean? The passive writing voice occurs when something that is ordinarily “done by” the subject of a sentence is “done by” the object of a sentence In the passive writing voice, whatever is doing the action of the sentence is not the grammatical subject of the sentence Examples: a, The work was completed by Nam Even though “Jaime” completed the work, “Nam” is not the grammatical subject of this sentence The subject of this sentence is “work.” In passive sentences, the thing that seems to be doing the action will be ordered chronologically after the verb b, The ball was hit by Ba SangKienKinhNghiem.net Again, in this sentence, rather than say, “Ba hit the ball.” the ball becomes the subject of the sentence c How is the Passive Voice Formed? Passive construction: The passive writing voice is formed when what should be the object of a sentence becomes the subject of a sentence S + be + Vp.p To construct a sentence in the passive writing voice, the subject will be followed by a “to be” verb with a past participle Examples of Passive Voice: - Start with active voice Mrs Hoa bought clothes “Mrs Hoa” is subject; “clothes” is object - The object becomes the subject The clothes Add “to be” and past participle The clothes were bought (Optional) Add original subject (and a preposition, when necessary) The clothes were bought by Mrs Hoa The differences between a passive sentence and an active sentence - What is a passive sentence? The passive writing voice occurs when the action is done by what seems like it should be the subject - What is an active sentence? Active voice occurs when the subject “does” the action of the sentence Active Voice Example: Shakespeare wrote the play In this sentence, Shakespeare is “doing” the action of the sentence Active vs Passive Voice Examples: Shakespeare wrote the play (active) The play was written by Shakespeare (passive) The subject is typically clearer in active voice whereas in passive voice it may seem like the object is the subject More Examples: The boy is collecting the garbage ( active) The garbage is being collected by the boy (passive) Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs We know that a passive sentence only happens with a transitive verb a What is a transitive verb? A transitive verb is one that only makes sense if it exerts its action on an object A transitive verb needs to transfer its action to something or someone—an object In essence, transitive means “to affect something SangKienKinhNghiem.net else.” Transitive verbs are not just verbs that can take an object; they demand objects Without an object to affect, the sentence that a transitive verb inhabits will not seem complete An active sentence with a transitive verb: S + V + O Example : He closed the door The verb “ close” is a transitive verb its object is the door, the thing that is being brought Without an object of some kind, this verb cannot function He closed Close what? The question begs itself because the meaning of close demands it Here are some more examples of transitive verbs and their objects The girls carry water to their village The boy threw the ball Could you phone the neighbors? I caught a cold She loves rainbows Each of the verbs in these sentences have objects that complete the verbs’ actions If the objects were taken out, the results would be illogical and questions would be raised in the mind of the reader b What is an intransitive verb? An intransitive verb is the opposite of a transitive verb: it does not require an object to act upon It will make sense without one They jumped The dog ran She sang A light was shining None of these verbs require an object for the sentence to make sense, and all of them can end a sentence II How to use passive sentences Each question can be expressed in active form then either passive Question actively used when we want to emphasize the causes of action When the subject is affected by the action, we use the passive voice The choice of active or passive sentence depends on many factors In many cases, we are using only active or passive Therefore, students should understand the following issues: The use of passive sentences - When you not need to mention agents of action ( by chance was too obvious or unimportant ) Eg: The road has been repaired -When We not know or forget the people to take action Eg: The money was stolen SangKienKinhNghiem.net -When we are interested in the action itself rather than the people to take action Eg: This book was published in Vietnam - When the subject of the initiative is subject not identified as: people, they, someone Eg: People say that he will win  It is said that he will win - When people say not want to mention all cause actions Eg: Smoking is not allowed here Passive structures Regarding passive sentence structure in English, I will be divided into three categories: Type 1: Passive with tenses not belonging to continuous ones This format has the following general formula: BE + PAST PARTICIPLE Type 2: Passive with continuous tenses This format has the following general formula: BE + BEING + PAST PARTICIPLE Type 3: Passive structure "be going to" (the near future) This format has the following general formula: BE + GOING TO + PAST PARTICIPLE Type is applied to six tenses not belonging to continuous ones, type is applied to three continuous tenses and category is used for structure "be going to" (the near future) In this section, I introduce the tenses that the students have learned in the program to serve semester exams, including present simple, past simple, present perfect, future simple, past perfect, present continuous, the past continuous, the future continuous, and the near future “ be going to”; and passive with modals Type 1: Passive with tenses not belonging to continuous ones 1) Present simple: S + am / is/ are + Past Participle Eg: Active: They raise cows in Ba Vi  Passive: Cows are raised in Ba Vi 2) Past simple: S + was / were + Past Participle Eg: Active : Jame Watt invented the steam engine in 1784 Passive : The steam engine was invented by Jame Watt in 1784 SangKienKinhNghiem.net 3) Future simple: S + will be + Past Participle Eg: Active: They will build a new school for disabled children next month Passive: A new school for disabled children will be built next month 4) Present perfect: Eg: Active: They have just finished the project Passive: The project has just been finished 5) Past perfect Eg: S + had been + Past Participle Active: When I came, they had cleaned the board Passive: When I came, the board had been cleaned 6) Future perfect Eg: S + have/ has been + Past Participle S + will have been + Past Participle Active: We will have finished the test when you come back Passive: The test will have been finished when you come back 7) Modal verbs S + Modal Verb + be + Past Participle Ex1: Active : You can see him now  Passive : He can be seen (by you) now Ex2: Active : He should type his term paper Passive : His term paper should be typed Type 2: Passive with continuous tenses 1) Present continuous: S + am / is / are +being + Past Participle Eg: Active: Ann is writing a letter Passive: A letter is being written by Ann 2) Past continuous: Eg: S + was / were + being + Past Participle Active: She was cleaning the room at a.m yesterday Passive: The room was being cleaned at a.m yesterday 3) Future continuous: S + will/ shall+ be + Past Participle SangKienKinhNghiem.net Eg: Active: She will buy a new car nexth month Passive: A new car will be bought by her nexth month Type 3: Passive structure "be going to" (the near future) S + am / is / are +going to+be + Past Participle Eg: Active: They are going to make a new film about war Passive: A new film about war is going to be made III How to change active sentences into passive ones The ways to change an active sentence into a passive one To move from question to question actively passive students should know the following moves: 1.1 Identify new terms in the initiative, transforming it into a passive subject in question 1.2 Identify tense in the initiative and share "to be" corresponding to then English language and the new subject of the passive 1.3 Divide the main verb in sentences initiative in the form of the passive past participle 1.4 By + agent (when you want to emphasize action agents) S + V + S + V (participle) + O O Eg: They  will finish S this work tomorrow V O This work will be finished (by them) tomorrow Students should note some problems: - The manner adverb is usually placed before the verb participle two in the passive Eg: He wrote the book wonderfully  The book was wonderfully written By + agent standing behind the adverb of place and standing before adverb of time Eg1: A passer- by took him home  He was taken home by a passer- by Eg2: We will receive the gifts on Monday SangKienKinhNghiem.net  The gifts will be received by us on Monday - Question and negative passive sentences in question are created the same way of the initiative Eg1: People don’t speak English at the party  English isn’t spoken at the party Eg2: Have you done your homework?  Has your homework been done? - When the subject of the sentence is indeterminate pronouns: noone / nobody shall be in the form of passive sentences negative Eg: Nobody can answer this question This question can’t be answer But not any sentence can also switch from passive to proactive or vice versa Conditions to turn an active sentence into the passive initiative is that sentence should be an exception to the verb (transitive verb) Intransitive sentence (intransitive verb), it can not switch to the passive Verbs are verbs require a direct object in the cabinet without a verb, the direct object Eg: 1) She is making a cake  A cake is being made by her Transitive verb 2) They run along the beach every morning Intransitive verb Practice Applying the above knowledge, practice by doing the following exercises: Exercise 1: Change into a passive sentence: 1.My father waters this flower every morning ->………………………………………………………… John invited Fiona to his birthday party last night ->………………………………………………………… No one can move the heavy rock in his garden ->………………………………………………………… Her mother is preparing the dinner in the kitchen ->………………………………………………………… 5.We should clean our teeth twice a day ->…………………………………………………………… However, at present under the decision of the Ministry of Education and Training, the foreign language courses is competition in the form of objective tests during the semester exams and secondary school graduation Therefore, to well the exercise of the passive tests, the students must understand passive sentence structure, writing exercises to move to the passive, it will easily multiple choice exercises experience Here are some exercises in the form of tests, will 10 SangKienKinhNghiem.net help students to consolidate knowledge and homework about the passive test better Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: My wedding ring ………… of yellow and white gold a is made b is making c made d makes If your brother ………………., he would come a invited b were invited c were inviting d invite Mr Wilson is …………… as Wilie to his friend a knowed b knew c known d is known References ………… in the examination room a not are used b is not used c didn’t used d are not used Laura ………… in Boston a are born b were born c was born d born My mother is going …………… this house a sold b to be sold c to sold d to sell 7.There’s somebody hehind us I think we are ……………… a being followed b are followed c follow d following Have you …………… by a dog? a bite b ever been bit c ever been bitten d bit 9.The room is being ………… at the moment a was cleaned b cleaned c cleaning d clean 10 The road to our village ………… widened next year a is b will c can d will be Exercise 3: Choose sentences have the same meaning with the given ones by choosing a, b, c or d 1.Somebody cleans that room everyday a The room every day is cleaned b The room is everyday cleaned c The room is cleaned every day d The room is cleaned by somebody everyday They cancelled all flights because of fog a All flights because of fog were cancelled b All flights were cancelled because of fog c All flights were cancelled by them because of fog d All flights were because of fog cancelled 3.They are building a new highway around the city a A new highway is being built around the city b A new highway is being built around the city by them c A new highway around the city is being built d Around the city a new highway is being built 4.They have built a new hospital near the airport 11 SangKienKinhNghiem.net a A new hospital has been built near the airport by them b A new hospital near the airport has been built c A new hospital has been built near the airport d Near the airport a new hospital has been built by them They will ask you a lot of questions at the interview a You will be asked a lot of questions at the interview b You will be asked a lot of questions at the interview by them c A lot of questions will be asked you at the interview d A lot of questions will be asked at the interview Special types of passive voice The transition from active into passive depends on sentence structure so the best way to master how to convert is the review of it below the level of the sample already knew 4.1 Structures : S + V + O (C, A) In this form the new language can be a noun or pronoun phrase Consider some examples: S + V + O Eg: Her mother is cleaning the kitchen The kitchen is being cleaned by her mother S +V + O + C Eg: They called him Mr Angry  He was called Mr Angry S + V + O + A Eg: He put the table in the corner  The table was put in the corner 4.2 Structures: S +V + O + O For the sentences having two objects, we can use one of them to convert into the subject in the passive However, the object indicating human is used more often Eg: We gave him a nice present on his birthday Oi Od - The first turning: He was given a nice present on his birthday - The second turning: needing a new preposition ->A nice present was given to him on his birthday There are two prepositions can be used in this case: to, for Some verbs used with ‘to’: give, bring, send, show, write, post, pass… 12 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Some verbs used with ‘for’ : buy, make, cook, keep, find, get, save……… Eg1 : She didn’t show me this special camera  This camera wasn’t shown to me Eg 2: She is making him a cup of tea  A cup of tea is being made for him 4.3 The passive with reporting verbs The reporting verbs are commonly used to narrate the words, thoughts, questions, requests, apologies Some common reporting verbs are :say, think, know, believe, ask, tell, promise… There are two related structures from the narrative: a Form : Active: Passive : S +V + Oi + that clause S (Oi) + be + past participle + that clause Eg: He told me that you had a new bike  I was told that you had a new bike b - Form: Active S +V + that + clause This sample has two ways to switch to passive: + Using the subject “it” Eg: People think that I am the best student in my class  It is thought that I am the best student in my class + Using the subject of the clause that and using prototype form of the verb in this example, there is a second transition: Eg: I am thought to be the best student in my class In a second move, you can use forms of the verb as follows: b1) To- inf: when the action in the clause after that takes place then or after the action in the reported clause b2) To be v-ing: when the verb in the clause after that is put in the continuous tenses , the verbs in the reported clause is devided into present simple b3)To have done: when the action in the clause after that takes place before the action in the reported clause Eg1: People say that he is a rich man  He is said to be a rich man Eg2: They think that she is living there 13 SangKienKinhNghiem.net  She is thought to be living there Eg3: They said that Tom had left home before the weekend  Tom was said to have left home before the weekend 4.4 Imperative When changing the imperative to passive, use the following structure: Active: Passive: V Let +O +O + Adjunct + be past participle + Adjunct Eg: Take off your hat!  Let your hat be taken off! Apart from that, there is another way to move the imperative to passive but rarely used They are: S + am/ is/ are + to be + past participle Or: S should be + past participle Eg: Active: Look after the children please! Passive: - The children should be looked after! Or : - The children are to be looked after! 4.5 WH- question For Wh- questions, there are two categories: Category 1: Wh- question is the object in the initiative So it is simple to change into passive, then Wh- question will function as a subject in passive Eg: Active: How many languages they speak in Canada? Passive: How many languages are spoken in Canada? Category 2: Wh- question is the subject in the initiative When changing into passive, Wh- question will function as a subject Then we will have two ways forward: moving By to the top (Wh- question is the object) or putting By to the end of sentence Eg: Who wrote this novel ?  Who was this novel written by? Hoặc:  By whom was this novel written? 5.6 Structure: S + V+ O + There are two cases occurred: a The subject and the object are not the same: Eg: He kept me waiting -> I was kept waiting ( by him) 14 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Ving a The subject and the object are the same person/ people/ thing or things: Eg : He hates people looking at him  He hates being looked at ( by people) 5.7 Structure : a S S + V + O ( to) + V + V + O + to + V - The subject and the object are not the same Eg : We asked him to it -> He was asked to it - The subject and the object are the same person/ people/ thing or things Eg : She would love someone to take her out to dinner -> She would love to be taken out to dinner b S + V + O + V( without to) - We use To-infinitive when changing into passive, apart “let” Eg : We heard him sing this song -> He was heard to sing this song But : They let us go home -> We were let go home Or : We were allowed to go home 4.8 Structure: Have / get something done ( dạng nhờ bảo ) a Have Eg : : S + have + Object( person) + bare infinitive + Object Active I Passive had him:repair my bicycle S + have + Objectyesterday ( thing) + Past Participle (+ by + Object( person)) -> I had my bicycle repaired yesterday b Get Active: S + get + O (person) + to infinitive + O ( thing) Passive : S + get + O (thing) + Past participle (+by + O(person)) Eg: I get her to make some coffee -> I get some coffee made 15 SangKienKinhNghiem.net 4.9 PRACTICE Based on the above knowledge requires students to the following exercises: Exercise : Change the following sentences into passive: Do they teach English here? ->………………………………………………… Did the teacher give some exercises? ->………………………………………………… When will you the work? ->………………………………………………… What books are people reading this year? ->………………………………………………… People saw him steal your car ->………………………………………………… They made him work all day ->…………………………………………………… Open your book! ->………………………………………………… Don’t that silly thing again ! ->………………………………………………… She advised me to sell that house ->………………………………………………… 10 Why didn’t they help him? ->………………………………………………… Exercise 2: Choose the best option to complete the following sentences: Her watch needs…………… a reparing b to be repaired c repaired d a&b The old man is said…………….all his money to an old people’s home when he died a to leave b to leaving c have left d to have left Nobody was injured in the accident , …………? a was there b was he c were they d weren’t they Renoir’s paintings ……… masterpieces all over the world a had considered b are considered c are considering d consider He was advised…………singing lessons a take b taken c taking d to take You’d better get someone…………your living room a redecorate b redecorated c to redecorate d redecorating When………… ? In 1928 a penicillin was discovered b did penicillin discovered c was penicillin discovered d did penicillin discover 16 SangKienKinhNghiem.net I don’t remember…………… of the decision to change the company policy on vacations a telling b being told c to tell d to be told The children ……………to the zoo a were enjoyed taken b enjoyed being taken c were enjoyed taking d enjoyed taking 10 A new bike was bought ………….him on his birthday a to b for c with d on 17 SangKienKinhNghiem.net PART C CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS I CONCLUSION In the process of teaching English, I was introduced to the students the basic knowledge about passive sentences in English For each target different students, the requirements are also different For the poor pupils or just serving semester exam or entrance exams to high school, I only introduce the basic components such as changing from the proactive to the passive, passive sentences with some tenses, with the modals and with WH- question For better students, I also teach some special structures In the process of teaching, I realized that most students understood the basic knowledge to apply it into multiple choice exercises in order to serve entrance exams to high school However, the poor students still get some difficulties because passive voice is closely related to other knowledge in English, especially the tenses So when teaching this knowledge, I ask students to recall knowledge learned in the English section and other related knowledge After a process, I would provide some initial experimental results in the 2017-2018 school year, in the comparison between classes and students that were applied and those who were not applied this theme: in grade 8, with experimental class : 9B Through a small test to compare the students I teach with the others, the results obtained are as follows: - I gave the following test for students in three classes 8A, 8B, 9B Change the following sentences into passive: 1.1 He can’t repair my bike 1.2 She often takes her dog for a walk 1.3 Have they finished their work? Choose the sentence that has the same meaning with the given one by circling a, b, c or d John will organise a party at his house next Sunday a A party will be organised by John at his house next Sunday b A party will organise at John’s house next Sunday c.A party will be organised at John’s house next Sunday d.A party will be organise at John’s house next Sunday Choose the best anwers to complete the following sentences When …………….last night? a was the letter written b were the letter written c did you wrote the letter c was you writing the letter This house is going …………… a sold b to be sold c being sold d to sell 18 SangKienKinhNghiem.net And the result: At first: Total sentences Result Total Students Class 8A, 8B Class 9B 2-3 No % No % No 73 10 13.7 9.6 20 33 21.2 21.2 10 0-1 % No % 27.4 36 49.3 30.3 27.3 After the research: Result Experiment Compared classes Number of sentences Total students 73(8A, 8B) 33 -9B 2-3 No % No % No % 16 21.9 20 27.4 32 43.8 10 30.3 12 36.4 21.2 0-1 No 15 % 6.9 12.1 II RECOMMENDATIONS Schools and organizations planning departments should organize professional seminars to improve teaching quality, the movement of writing experienced initiative and scientists report and to apply good researches widely in the classroom Enhance training for teachers on teaching experience, as well as thematic training for students, take interest and enable young people to best promote their capabilities, improve teaching quality Ensure the quality of teachers nearby Strengthen the construction of infrastructure facilities classrooms for the teaching process in schools As a young teacher who has been teaching for some years and has not much experience, I know my problem given is limited So I look forward to receiving constructive involvement of the other teachers and colleagues to make the problem more complete, more effective in the teaching process Sincere thanks! 19 SangKienKinhNghiem.net I’m sure this is my own experienced initiative Yen Dinh, April 10th 2018 Headmaster’s signature ……………………………… …………………………………… …………………………………… Written by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao 20 SangKienKinhNghiem.net ... I chose the theme " One method to help students solve exercises of passive voice effectively " to be the research problems in this experience initiative II AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE RESEARCH Aims... is going to be made III How to change active sentences into passive ones The ways to change an active sentence into a passive one To move from question to question actively passive students should... of the passive voice a Passive voice definition: The passive voice is a style of writing where what would be the object of a sentence becomes the subject of the sentence b What does passive voice