Passive pairs

Teaching notes
Level: pre-intermediate (A2–B1).
Focus: passive voice (present and past simple).

How it works
The activity can be used as a quick warm-up or for more extended practice. In either
case, start with some examples:

Harry Potter / Daniel Radcliffe omelettes / eggs

Students make sentences together: Harry Potter was played by Daniel Radcliffe and
Omelettes are made of/from/with eggs.

If necessary, explain the difference between made of and made from/with:

 In This table is made of metal, the metal is still metal.

 In Paper is made from trees, the trees are now something different. They have
been changed/modified/transformed.
 Made with is usually used for cooking ingredients.

Draw students’ attention to the structure:

by + person doing
subject verb the action
be
(= object of + + (third form / past +
(correct tense)
active sentence) participle) of/from/with +
material

As a warm-up
1. Give students one card each and get them to find a partner.
2. Then ask them to make a sentence together.
3. They can write it on the board for others to check.
As a practice activity
1. Put students in pairs or groups of three. Give each group a set of jumbled cards.
2. Ask them to match the cards.
3. Check their answers.
4. Ask them to think of a verb for each pair of cards.
5. They then use those verbs to make sentences.
Answers
The phone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
The iPhone is made by Apple.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates.
Chess is played by two people.
Mince pies are eaten at Christmas time.
Harry Potter was written by J.K. Rowling.
James Bond is played by Daniel Craig.
Glass is made from sand.
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming.
Lord of the Rings was directed by Peter Jackson.
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 Passive pairs

Alexander
phone Bill Gates Microsoft
Graham Bell

iPhone Apple chess two people

mince pies Christmas time Daniel Craig James Bond

Harry Potter J.K. Rowling glass sand

Alexander Lord of the

penicillin Peter Jackson
Fleming Rings

© www.teachitelt.com 2014 23677 Page 2 of 2