Name: canan_uslu • 04 Nov 2019 • Impersonal Passive

Description
In this lesson, students will learn about impersonal passive through the context of the reading text "Magical
Places". The students will be provided with an opportunity to recall any similar places or legends in their country
and build up the TL based on them. Moreover, the students will be exposed to saying sentences in 'another way'
using the TL. In freer practice activity, the students will be encouraged to practice the target chunks in a freer
context.

Main Aims
 To provide clarification, review and practice of impersonal passive in the context of the text about
"Magical Places".

Subsidiary Aims
 To provide scan reading practice using a text about impersonal passive in the context of the text about
"Magical Places".
 To provide process writing practice of a short text in English in the context of a place with magical powers
or a legend.

Materials
 Whiteboard, markers
 Projector
 Power Point Presentation
 Text "Magical Places"(Clanfield, L & Robb Benne, R (2011) Global Upper Intermediate SsBk Macmillan)
 Exercise 2(Clanfield, L & Robb Benne, R (2011) Global Upper Intermediate SsBk Macmillan)
 Exercise 1(Clanfield, L & Robb Benne, R (2011) Global Upper Intermediate SsBk Macmillan)
 Extra activity(Clanfield, L & Robb Benne, R (2011) Global Upper Intermediate TsBk Macmillan)
 Reporting the sentences(Clanfield, L & Watkins, F (2011) Global Upper Intermediate TsBk Macmillan)

Please see the following page for the lesson procedure

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Name: canan_uslu • 04 Nov 2019 • Impersonal Passive

Interaction
Stage Procedure Materials Time Comments
Pattern
Warmer/Lead-in *Ask students to briefly re-tell about the previous text "Magical Places" to set
To set lesson context the lesson context; Power Point
and engage students *Try to elicit TL from the Sts; Presentation, T-S, SS-WB,
*Tell students about a magical place in Tajikistan to support the context for the Projector, S-S, SS-SS, 3–4
TL, i.e. impersonal passive; Whiteboard, Mingle
*Focus Sts attention to the TL without appearing to do so;
markers
Exposure *Project 3 sentences on the w/b;
To provide context for *Ask students to look at the text again and find 'another' way of saying these
the target language sentences; Power Point
through a text or *Ask Sts to make a small group of 3-4, but first work individually, then in pairs to Presentation,
situation check their answers;
Projector, T-S, S-S, SS-
*Prompt Sts with the word "it" if they are not able to find them; 3–5
*Ask Sts to think of what tense is being used and what is the subject of these Whiteboard, SS
sentences; markers,
*Also ask Sts why the passive is used here; Exercise 1

Highlighting *Elicit answers from the Sts and write them on the board;
To draw students' *Elicit the correct tense and subject being used; Mark on the board;
attention to the *If Sts struggle with meaning and form:
target language *To clarify the meaning, ask these CCQs:
a. Is passive used here by the writer to distant himself? (Yes) Power Point
b. Does the writer not want to assert his/her personal belief or disbelief in Presentation,
magical powers? (Yes)
*To clarify the form, ask these CCQs:
Projector, T-S, SS-WB 5–7
a. Is the present simple passive used? (Yes) Whiteboard,
b. Is the subject in each sentence 'it'? (Yes) markers
*To clarify the appropriacy, ask this CCQ:
c. Is the use of 'it' more common in written and academic English? (Yes)
*To give the summative feedback on the language used:
*Tell Sts that we use the impersonal passive to report a general claim or belief,

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Name: canan_uslu • 04 Nov 2019 • Impersonal Passive

Interaction
Stage Procedure Materials Time Comments
Pattern
without reference to a particular person or agent.
*Tell Sts that impersonal passive is formed with it + the passive voice. It is used
with reporting verbs such as say, claim, rumour, know, think and believe;
*Carry out drilling of three sentences on the board;
Clarification *Project 6 sentences and ask Sts to change the sentences so they mean the
To clarify the same thing;
meaning, form and *Tell Sts to start each sentence with 'It...'; Power Point
pronunciation of the *Do the first sentence together, then let the Sts work alone, before checking in Presentation,
target language pairs;
Projector, T-S, SS-WB,
*Give Sts the HO; 5–7
*Ask ICQ if need be: Are you going to start each sentence with 'It...'? (Yes); Are Whiteboard, S-S
you going to use present simple passive? (Yes) markers,
*Re-elicit the effect of the passive; Exercise 2
*Focus on the meaning and the reason for using this form;

Controlled Practice *Ask Sts to close/hide their HOs;

To concept check and *Model the activity: Draw a picture of the sentence from Exercise 2 on the
prepare students for board "People believe that if you stand here at midnight then you will be lucky
more meaningful for a year";
practice *Ask Sts to give one sentence using the TL (impersonal passive) to describe a
picture; Projector,
*Elicit the correct TL sentence: 'It is believed that if you stand here at midnight Whiteboard, T-S, SS-WB,
you will be lucky for a year';
5–7
markers, Extra SS-SS,
*Prompt sts if they struggle making up a sentence: activity
*Ask a volunteer to come up to the board and silently draw a picture of the
sentence on the board;
*The first person to shout out the correct passive sentence gets a point;
*This simple recall activity focuses students on the target language.
*Carry out error correction on the TL if the need be.
Semi-Controlled *Ask Sts to look at six sentences and think of any similar places or legends in
their country;
Power Point T-S, SS-WB,
Practice 8 – 10
To concept check *Elicit ideas and write them on the board; Presentation, SS-SS,

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Name: canan_uslu • 04 Nov 2019 • Impersonal Passive

Interaction
Stage Procedure Materials Time Comments
Pattern
further and prepare *Tell Sts that they have been asked by a tourism agency to write a short text in Projector, Mingle
students for free English about a place with magical powers or legend that they know; Whiteboard,
practice *Tell Sts to vote for the favourite spot by the end of this activity;
*Tell them they can use the text on page 45 to help them;
markers, Text
*Tell sts to think of a real place, or invent one if they don't know; "Magical Places"
*Divide sts into pairs or small groups depending on a number of Sts to carry out
the activity;
*Tell Sts they have got 8-10 minutes;
*Stick pieces of writing on the walls, students mingle and vote;
Free Practice *Project 5 sentences on the board to practice the target chunks in a freer
To provide students context;
with free practice of *Re-group Sts and ask them to discuss five statements in threes;
1. It is claimed that learning a language as a child is the only way to get perfect
Power Point
the target language
pronunciation; Presentation,
2. It has been suggested that being bilingual helps other areas of your brain to Projector, T-S, SS-WB,
develop, as well as linguistic ones;
4–5
Whiteboard, SS-SS
3. It has been claimed that learning grammar rules at the expense of other markers, Extra
aspects actually impedes language development;
4. It is said that to speak with a convincing accent in another language, one
activity
needs to be a good actor;
5. It has been stated that it is impossible to learn more than 20 words a day.
Extra TL related *Assign this activity to a fast-finisher(s) or as an optional one;
activity Optional *Provide an answer key upon completion.
Reporting the
To provide students T-S, S-S 3–5
with free practice of
sentences
the target language

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