Planet 51: Passive Voice with Present Perfect

This has been one of the animated movies that I have laughed most. Its humor is clever and extremely attractive to both adults and children. I strongly recommend it. I used this scene to practice the passive voice use with present perfect statements, because the astronaut day's hasn't ended yet, so we can contextualize the grammar point easily.






A. Watch the movie segment and check what has happened to the astronaut since he landed on Planet 51. Fill in the blanks with the present perfect tense of the given verbs. Decide if you will use affirmative or negative forms according to the segment.

1. The astronaut ______ (place) a flag on Planet 51.

2. A boy ______ (ask) him an autograph.

3. A strange pet _________ (attack) him.

4. The pet ______ (chase) him.

5. The astronaut ________ (scare) a boy and his mother at lunch time.

6. A boy on a bike _________ (run over) him.

7. He _________ (find) other humans.

8. He ________ (take off) his suit.


B. Now rewrite the sentences above using passive voice.

Ex: 1. A flag has been placed on Planet 51 (by the astronaut).


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PLANET 51

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Answer key:
A. 1. has placed / 2. has asked / 3. has attacked / 4. has chased / 5. has run over / 6. hasn't found / 7. hasn't taken off
B.
2. He has been asked for an autograph (by a boy).
3. He has been attacked by a strange pet.
4. He has been chased (by the pet).
5. He has been run over by a boy on a bike.
6. Other humans haven't been found.
7. His suit hasn't been taken off.

The Ant Bully: Passive x Active Voice - Mixed Verb Tenses

I. Read the sentences below and write them in the passive voice.

1. We have brought you before this council to face judgment.
.........................................................................
2. The queen herself will be handing down the sentencing of the human.
.........................................................................

3. We should study this human.
........................................................................

II. Now read the sentences below. Then rewrite them in the active voice.

1. And then he will be eaten (by us) .
.......................................................

2. This human could be destroyed (by us).
......................................................

3. The nature of this human could be changed (by us).
......................................................

III. Now watch the segment and check if your answers to exercises I and II were correct.




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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ANT BULLY

Answer Key:

I.

1. You have been brought before this council for judgment.

2. The sentencing of the human will be handed down by the queen herself.

3. This human should be studied.

II.

1.And then we will eat him.

2. We could destroy this human.

3. We could change the nature of this human.

Angels & Demons: Passive Voice

I like both the movie and the book. The story is farfetched, but well told and interconnnected. The scene I selected is perfect for the students to practice the passive voice.





I. Read the sentences below and write them in the passive voice.



1. A cardenal must destroy the Ring of the Fisherman immediately following the Pope's death.

..................................................................

2. Someone seals the papal apartment for nine days of mourning.

.................................................................

3. People know this period as sede vacante.

................................................................

4. The preferiti are offering prayers.

...............................................................

5. A modern world threatens the ancient traditions.

..............................................................


II. Now watch the segment and check your answers:





Answer key:

1. The Ring of the Fisherman must be destroyed immediately following the Pope's death.
2. The papal apartment is sealed for nine says of mourning.
3. The period (is) known as sede vacante.
4. Prayers are being offered by the preferiti.
5. The ancient traditions (are) threatened by a modern world


III. Game:

Work in small groups to see who makes more correct guesses about how a new Pope is chosen. Decide if the following sentences are True or False. They are requirements to become a Pope.

1. ( ) One must be a Cardinal to be elected Pope.

2. ( ) Cardinals are RARELY appointed before age 50. Cardinals 80 and over cannot vote for Pope, and no one over 79 has EVER been elected Pope.

3. ( ) The person who would be Pope must speak at least 3 languages: Latin, Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German are especially good for a potential Pope to know.

4. ( ) 120 cardinals must participate in the selection.

5. ( ) The basic requirements are that no pope over 80 can be elected, and a two-thirds plus one majority must select the new pope.

6. ( ) If this majority cannot be reached, voting must occur for several days with two votes taking place in the morning and in the evening. If four days of voting does not result in the 67% majority, then the candidate with the majority of votes becomes the new pope.

7. ( ) When the old pope passes away, no autopsy is performed as this is considered desecration.

8. ( ) Official voting for the new pope is done in a process called conclave, from the Latin cum clavis. This means “with key,” and essentially means that the voting is secret.

9. ( ) Cardinals are locked into a room, specifically the Sistine Chapel. If the electoral process takes more than a day, the cardinals have lodging at St. Martha’s house and have no contact with the outside world.

10. ( ) All ballots are burned and if the vote has elected a new pope, this burning causes white smoke to float above the Vatican, signifying the world has a new pope. If the vote is unsuccessful, chemical is added to the burning ballots to cause gray smoke to appear. This signifies a vote without an election.


IV. Underline all the passive voice structures in exercise III.


Answer Key:


III.
All are true, except number 1. It is an informal requirement, but not official.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ANGELS & DEMONS

Dear John: Passive Voice with Simple Present, Simple Past and Present Perfect

This is an effective tearjerker which I liked a lot. This scene is full of passive voice structures, perfect for review on passive voice with mixed verb tenses.

A. Read the script of the first scene from the movie Dear John. The paragraph is in the passive voice. either the simple present tense, simple past or the present perfect tenses. Fill in the blanks with the passive voice of the given verbs. Decide which of the two tenses you will use, depending on the context.



Glossary:

punch out: hit someone or something hard and repeatedly

rim: to be round or along the edge of something

bevel: to give something a sloping edge

stamp: to make a mark

mint: to produce something new





1. I’m eight years old again, on a tour of the US Mint, listening to the guide explain how coins ______________ (make). How they _______________ (punch out) of sheet metal. How they ______________ (rim) and ______________ (bevel). How they _________ (stamp)and __________ (clean). And then how each and every coin _________ (personally / examine) just in case one has slipped through with the slightest imperfection.



2. I am a coin in the United States Army. I __________ (mint) in the year 1980. I ____________ (punch out) from sheet metal, I __________ (stamp) and ___________ (clean), my edges _____________ (rim) and _______________ (bevel).


B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.








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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEAR JOHN


Answer key:


1. are made/ are punched out/ are rimmed and beveled/ are stamped and cleaned/ is personally examined

2. was mint/ have been punched out/ have been stamped and cleaned/ have been rimmed and beveled

A Christmas Carol: Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

I could never expect this movie to be so good. It is animated, but it seems to be so real... Besides, it is a classic tale that everyone should learn about. I must admit it is scarier than many children can bear, but it has been approved for all audiences. I enjoyed it immensely.

A. Watch the movie segment that takes place on Christmas Eve. Read the sentences below and decide if you are going to use affirmative or negative modal verbs, according to the information in the segment. Choose the correct modal verb according to the purpose in parentheses.










1. We ___________ (find) lots of poor children playing on the streets on Christmas eve. (modal for ability)



2. The government __________ (provide) children with a good meal for free on Christmas eve.
(present or future possibility)



3. Sometimes the population ___________ (help) homeless people because it's difficult for them to take care of their own family. (present impossibility)



4. Scrooge ___________ (assist) the choir singers because he is a rich man. (advisability)



5. A gambler hit a little boy. Adults __________ (respect) all the children. (necessity)



6. __________ adults _________ (tell) children Santa Claus doesn't exist? (advisability)



7. How __________ the government _________ (assist) poor children? (present possibilty or ability)



B. Now rewrite the sentences in exercise A, using passive voice statements.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Answer key:


A. 1. can find


2. could (might) provide


3. can't help


4. should assist


5. have to (must) respect


6. Should adults tell


7. can the government assist



B. 1. Children can be found ...


2. Children could (might) be provided with ...


3. Homeless people can't be helped by the population ...


4. The choir singers should be assisted ...


5. All the children hast to (must) be respected...


6. Should children be told that ...


7. How can children be assisted by the government?

Planet 51: Passive Voice with Simple Present

Happy 2012!!! Hope you enjoy the activities planned for 2012. Remember to share yours too. Email them to claudioazv@gmail.com and your credits and pictures are added as well.


Planet 51 is amazingly funny. I laughed so much that I almost cried during the movie. It is attractive to children and to adults, too. Rent the movie! You'll love it. I took advantage of the opening scene to practice passive voice in the simple present tense.

A. Watch the movie segment and check the activities that the inhabitants of Planet 51 perform on a typical afternoon.







1. ( ) They wear strange clothes



2. ( ) They play tennis.



3. ( ) They drive flying cars.



4. ( ) They read the newspaper.



5. ( ) Boys ride flying bicycles.



6. ( ) They walk their pets.



7. ( ) Workers sweep the street.



8. ( ) Children play hopscotch.



9. ( ) They make barbecue.



10. ( ) They sell candy.

B. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Decide if the sentence is affirmative or negative according to the information in the snippet:



Ex:



1. Strange clothes aren't worn.



2 ...............................................



3 ...............................................



4 ...............................................



5 ...............................................



6. ..............................................



7. ..............................................



8. ..............................................



9. ..............................................



10. ............................................




C. Now read the activities in exercise A and ask your partner if they perform those activities on a typical Sunday afternoon.



EX:



1.



S1: Do you wear strange clothes?



S2: No, I don't.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PLANET 51

Answer key:

A. Students should NOT check items 1, 2, 5, 9, 10


B.


2. Tennis isn't played.


3. Flying cars are driven.


4. The newspaper is read.


5. Flying bicycles aren't ridden.


6. Pets are walked.


7. The streets are swept.


8. Hopscotch is played.


9. Barbecue isn't made.


10. Candy isn't sold.

Hachiko - A Dog's Story: Passive Voice with Simple Past

A - Talk to a partner.


1. Do you have a pet? Talk about it.

2. Do you prefer dogs or cats? Why?

3. Is it important to have pets? Why?

4. When are pets helpful in a person's life? Explain it.

5. When are pets harmful to a person?

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having pets?



I. Watch the movie segment and check the alternatives with the actions that you managed to see during the scene.




1. ( ) A Japanese monk put the collar around Hachi's neck.

2. ( ) He put Hachi in a cage.

3. ( ) He took Hachi to a train station.

4. ( ) He fed Hachi.

5. ( ) A couple of guys picked Hachi up at the airport.

6. ( ) The baggage carrier accidentally dropped Hachi's cage on the station platform.

7. ( ) Someone found the broken cage.

8. ( ) Parker found and carried Hachi home.



II. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Make sure you write affirmative or negative sentences according to the information presented in the segment.

Ex:

1. The collar was put around Hachi's neck (by a Chinese monk).





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Answer key:

I.

All items are to be checked, except 4 and 7.

II.

2. Hachi was put in a cage.

3. Hachi was taken to a subway station.

4. Hachi wasn't fed.

5. Hachi was picked up at the airport.

6. Hachi's cage was accidentally dropped on the station platform.

7. The broken cage wasn't found.

8. Hachi was found and carried home by Parker.

My Life in Ruins: Get / Have Something Done (Passive Voice with Causative Verbs)

I really liked this comedy. Greece is simply fabulous and the views are fascinating. The story is very relaxing and funny too. I used many scenes for different activities. This is the first one of them. I used it to practice causative verbs GET and HAVE in passive constructions. It is an unconventional manner to practice such a barren, unnatractive grammar point.






I. Before viewing the segment, talk to a partner about the following questions.









1. Have you ever stayed at a very bad hotel? Tell you partner about it and how you managed to stay there.



2. Do you complain when there is a problem in your hotel room? What do you do if they do not resolve the problem for you?


3. Do you prefer to stay at a bad hotel that is very well located in the city or at a sophisticated hotel that is not so well located? Explain it.



II. Watch the movie segment and check the problems that you could identify in the Greek hotel.

1. ( ) The elevator

2. ( ) The air conditioning system

3. ( ) The mini bar

4. ( ) The shower

5. ( ) The toilet

6. ( ) The fan

7. ( ) The bed

8. ( ) The TV

9. ( ) The telephone

10. ( ) The closet





III. Fill in the blanks with the passive form of the verbs in parentheses.










1. The elevator needs repairing. The hotel needs to _____________ (get / fix).

2. The shower doesn't work properly. The managers will ___________ (have/repair).

3. The toilet broke. Plumbers will ________________ (get/replace).

4. The TV stopped working. The hotel will __________(have/send) to the electrician.

5. The telephone is out of order. They will _______________ (get / reconnect) as soon as possible.





IV. Now write two sentences about the other problems you identified, using passive construction with get and have. Follow the patterns in exercise III.



V. Class discussion:

What would you do if you were in such a breathtaking place like Greece, but in that horrible hotel? Would you complain, demand to change rooms or hotels? Justify it.


Answer Key:

II.

1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

III.

1. get it fixed
2. have it repaired
3. get it replaced
4. have it sent
5. get it reconnected




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Surrogates: Passive Voice with Future Tenses

The original idea of the movie plot is amazing. I liked the movie from the very beginning, which is intriguing and perfect for this activity I planned in order to teach passive voice with future tenses, the grammar point I'm teaching my Thomas Prime 8 students this week.

A. Watch the movie segment. The segment takes place in the year 2024 and talks about what will happen from today until 2024. The movie starts 14 years ago, 2010. Take a look at the timeline of the scientific developments that took place in the next 14 years and rewrite the sentences you saw in the segment in the passive voice.

B. Rewrite the sentences from the movie in the passive voice.

2011

1. In 2011, monkeys will operate mechanical arms with nothing but their thoughts.

In 2011, _______________________ with nothing but their thoughts.

2. Physically disabled people are going to operate fully synthetic bodies.

__________________________________.

2014

3. We are going to see this more and more.

__________________________________ more and more.

4. We will witness an event of evolutionary significance.

___________________________________.

2018

5. Over 98% of the world population will use a surrogate in all facets of their daily lives.

___________________________________ in all facets of their daily lives.

6. We are going to see crime rates record lows.

__________________________________.

2021

7. By 2024, a minority will have opposed surrogates.

By 2024, ____________________________.

8. Many people will have seen this as the invasion of the inhuman.

____________________________ as the invasion of the inhuman.

9. They will have established surrogacy-free zones in major cities around the country.

__________________________________ in major cities around the country.

2024

10. People had predicted that surrogates would solve all their problems.

People had predicted that ______________________.

11. They had believed that one day the future was going to bring nothing but happiness.

They had believed that one day _______________________.

B. Discuss the following questions in pairs.

1. What's your opinion about the segment. Do you think it will actually happen in the future?

2. Do you think that surrogates are a good idea? Explain it.

3. Would you like to have a surrogate for you and your family? Why (not)?

4. If you would, what would you use it for?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having surrogates among us?

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Anwer key:

1. mechanical arms will be operated by monkeys

2. fully synthetic bodies are going to be operated by physically disabled people.

3. this is going to be seen

4. an event of evolutionary significance will be witnessed

5. a surrogate will be used by 98% of the world population

6. crime rates record lows are going to be seen

7. surrogates will have been opposed by a minority

8. this will have been seen

9. surrogacy-free zones will have been established

10. all their problems would be solved by surrogates

11. nothing but happiness was going to be brought by the future

300: Passive Voice

This is a great movie. The visual effects and colors are unusually gripping. It is one of my favorite epic movies ever. The first scene is excellent for passive voice practice since the narrator uses the target struture to explain Leonidas's journey to become a Spartan king. I'm sure your students will enjoy the scene and use the passive voice in the simple past tense in a contextualized manner.

A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

1. In a few cultures, couples are allowed to have only one child. Do you think it’s fair? Justify your answer.

2. If you could have only one child, would you still have the baby knowing he/she would be sick forever? Explain.

3. Is it possible to train someone to be a king or a hero? Justify your answer.

4. In ancient Greece, Spartans used to reject and kill all the handicapped children? The whole population consisted of healthy, strong people. What’s your opinion about it?

B. Before you view the segment, rewrite the following sentences using passive voice.

1. Spartans inspected the boy when he was born.

2. Spartans would have discarded him if he were too small or misshapen.

3. Spartans baptized him in the fire of combat.

4. They taught him not to retreat or surrender.

5. They taught him that death in the battlefield was the greatest glory.

6. Spartans took him from his mother and plunged him into a world of violence.

7. They called it the agoge.

8. Rod and lash punished the boy.

9. They taught the boy to show no pain or mercy

C. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

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Answer Key

B.

1. The boy was inspected when he was born.

2. He would have been discarded if…

3. He was baptized in …

4. He was taught not to…

5. He was taught that…

6. he was taken from… and plunged into…

7. It was called the agoge.

8. The boy was punished by the rod and lash.

9. He was taught to …

Ratatouille: Passive Voice

This is a very funny scene that adults, teens and children will love. It is perfect for the passive voice practice. The movie is a must!

Meet the characters that are on the scene you will just see:

Colette

Remy

Linguini

Watch the video segment and fill in the blanks of the exercise with the correct verb form of the verbs in parentheses.

1) Remy_____________ (distract) the cyclist.
2) The cyclist ______________ (crash) his bike into a car that was parked on the street.

3) Remy______________ (pull) Linguini's hair in order to move his body.
4) Remy _______________ (command) Linguini's body movements.
5) Remy ______________ (open) Linguini's eyes.
6) Colette _____________ (park) her scooter in front of the restaurant.
7) Linguini _______________ (cook) the food when Colette arrived.

8) Colette _______________ (sharpen) the knives.

9) Because Linguini was sleeping, he _____________ (hear) Colette's story.
10) Colette ____________________ (slap) Linguini's face.

Now rewrite the sentences above using the passive voice.Ex:

1) The cyclist was distracted (by Remy).

How to develop your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a lot of action takes place.

- Write a few sentences with action verbs using active voice to describe the scene.

- The students rewrite the sentences using passive voice.








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The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep: "Passive Voice"

This movie is for children and it somehow "explains" the Loch Ness monster's story. It's not a masterpiece, but it is good entertainment.



Watch the movie segment and complete the sentences with the
simple past tense of the verbs in parentheses. Write affirmative
or negative verb forms according to the information in the movie.

EX :

The kids caught (catch) two employees kissing each other in the kitchen.

1) The dog __________________ (chase) the water horse around the house.

2) The dog __________________ (hurt) the water horse.

3) The water horse accidentally _______________ (hit) an expensive vase.

4) The man _______________ (drop) a statue.

5) The carpet ___________________ (scare) the water horse.

6) The animals _________________ (break) several valuable items.

7) The dog ________________ (spill) soup on the guests.

8) The water horse __________________ (grab) a fish with its mouth.

9) The boys ____________________ (find) the water horse in the garden.

Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice.

EX:
Two employees were caught kissing each other in the kitchen.


How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Passive Voice
• Select a segment in which a lot of action takes place.
• Prepare an exercise with sentences in the active voice for the students to fill in the blanks with the correct verb form.
• Ask the students to rewrite the same sentences in the passive voice.




MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE WATER HORSE

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