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Time: 70 minutes
Teacher: Mr Wong Chiu Yeung
Class: Form 1
Class size: 34
Type of lesson: Grammar, pragmatics
Topic: Passive voice—form and usage
Theme: Food
Textbook: Teacher-developed material
Learning By the end of the lesson, Ss should be able to
objectives: - know the form of passive voice construction
- convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice and
vice versa
- write sentences in the passive voice in simple present and
simple past tenses
- explain the use of the correct voice in the appropriate
situations, taking into account usage, effect and intention
Materials: - Computer, projector, sound equipment, visualizer
- Teacher-developed material
Previous learning - Some Ss have learnt passive voice in primary school.
experience: - Students have read an article about Hong Kong as a food
paradise, which some passive constructions in it, although
no attention was drawn to those constructions.
Brief description: In the first part of the lesson,
- In the Presentation stage, students start with their relevant
prior knowledge—verbs ‘to be’ and past participles, before
the teacher introduces the form of the the passive voice.
- In the Practice stage, students convert sentences about food
in active voice into passive, with gradually decreasing
support.
- In the Production stage, students talk about food using the
passive voice.

In the second part of the lesson,

- In the Presentation Stage, Ss first watch the video clips
from some TV shows and fill in the blanks with the passive
construction. Ss also recognize the voice of the sentences,
and make preliminary and scaffolded explorations about
passive voice usage.
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- In the Practice Stage, Ss, in pairs, discuss passive voice

usage, effect, and intention through partially scaffolded
activity.
- In the Consolidation Stage, Ss, in groups, analyze authentic
language samples, including those from other subjects, and
discuss the suitable voice and reason.
Ss’ oral and written engagement are facilitated in all stages.
Assessment: The lead-in can help T initially gauge Ss’ prior knowledge.
Through questioning, T can check if Ss understand the
prerequisite grammar knowledge, which would be important in
the upcoming stages. If not, some adjustments or re-teaching
may be necessary. In the Practice and Production stage, by
observing Ss’ answers, T can assess if the students can use the
form accurately.
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Procedures
Time Procedure Materials/ Purpose
Classroom
language
5 minutes Lead-in Noticing is the essential
- T <-> class: T talk about “Mr Wong takes starting point for
some classroom Eric’s pen; Eric’s acquisition (Schmidt,
activities using passive pen is taken by Mr 1990)
and active voice. Wong”, etc.
- Ss explore the learning Co-define target
goals performance level to
promote metacognition.
(Kaufman, 2013)
5 minutes - Individual work: Ss Teacher-developed Students’ prior
complete a chart of verbs material p. 1 knowledge can provide a
to be and past strong foundation for
participles. building new knowledge.
5 minutes Presentation Computer,
- T <-> class: T presents the projector, sound Provide input as exposure
form of passive equipment and comprehensible input
construction. (CI) (Krashen, 1977).
- T demonstrates
converting active
sentences into passive visualizer
sentences.
- Individual work: Ss take
notes on the skeleton Teacher-developed
material. material, p. 2-4
10 minutes Practice Teacher-developed Learners co-construct
- Pair work: In pairs, Ss material, p.5-6 new language through
complete exercises of socially-mediated
creating passive voice interaction (Vygotsky,
sentences with gradually 1987).
decreasing support.
- T monitors. Delivery mode tailored to
students’ visual learning
style. (Kaufman, 2013)
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Goal-directed practice
develops greater fluency,
automaticity and mastery.

5 minutes Production Questioning,

- Group work: Ss choose a experimentation,
dish that they can cook Teacher-developed application, finding and
using the given material, p. 7-8 solving problems promote
ingredients. Ss write some inquiry-driven learning.
sentences to talk about the (Kaufman, 2013)
ingredient in passive
voice. Group mates guess Comprehensible
the dish. “…is used” output (CO) hypothesis
- Group work: Ss ask and suggests that ‘forcing’
answer questions about learners to produce
food using the passive “Fork is invented language is important so
voice. in…”; “Pizza was they can notice gaps in
- T monitors. eaten by…” their production and test
out hypothesis (Swain,
1995).
5 minutes Consolidation Misconceptions should be
- T <-> class: T provides eliminated as soon as
feedback on Ss strengths possible, as implied by
and weaknesses. ACT-R model (Anderson,
- Ss read aloud sentences 1983).
in the passive voice.
Increase attention to the
accurate use of linguistic
form
5 minutes Presentation Video clips Awareness-raising:
- Ss watch the video clips noticing is the essential
from some TV shows starting point for
and fill in the blanks acquisition (Schmidt,
with the passive 1990)
construction.
- Individual work: Ss also Teacher-developed Stimulate prior
recognize the voice of materials, p. 9 knowledge: Students’
the sentences, and make prior knowledge can
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preliminary and provide a strong

scaffolded explorations foundation for building
about passive voice new knowledge.
usage.
- T <-> whole class: T Provide input as exposure
discuss answers with and comprehensible input
whole class. (CI) (Krashen, 1977).

Discovery learning:
deeper engagement

Note taking: Learners

construct their own
representation of
knowledge, rather than
passively reproduce what
is presented to them
(Vygotsky).

10 minutes Practice Teacher-developed Focus on form through

- Pair work: Ss, in pairs, materials, p. 10-12 collaborative dialogue
discuss passive voice
usage, effect, and Learners co-construct
intention through partially new language through
scaffolded activity. socially-mediated
- T monitors. interaction (Vygotsky,
- T <-> whole class: T 1987).
discuss answers with
whole class. Delivery mode tailored to
students’ visual learning
style. (Kaufman, 2013)

Goal-directed practice
develops greater fluency,
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10 minutes Consolidation
- Group work: Ss, in
groups, analyze authentic
language samples,
including those from
other subjects, and discuss
the suitable voice and
reason.
- T monitors.
- T <-> whole class: T
discuss answers with
whole class.
10 minutes Production
- Pair-work: Ss discuss
current new events in
passive voice.
- T monitors.
- S <-> whole class: Ss
report their opinions to the
whole class.
Wrap-up
- T <-> class: T provides
feedback on Ss strengths
and weaknesses.
Ss read aloud sentences in the
passive voice.
Homework
Teacher-developed materials
automaticity and mastery.
Teacher-developed Questioning and
materials, p. 13-16 application promote
inquiry-driven learning.
(Kaufman, 2013)
Group work: promotes
learning community and
learner esteem (Slavin)
Teacher-developed Comprehensible output
materials, p. 17 (CO) hypothesis suggests
that ‘forcing’ learners to
produce language is
important so they can
notice gaps in their
production and test out
hypothesis (Swain, 1995)
Misconceptions should be
eliminated as soon as
possible, as implied by
ACT-R model (Anderson,
1983).
Increase attention to the
accurate use of linguistic
form
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Notes on design of teacher-developed materials

- Progression in level of difficulty
- Challenging content to involve faster learners.
- Humour and sense of personal touch enjoyment, closely related to students’ daily lives and
personal experience. (Kaufman, 2013)
- Develop positive socio-emotional atmosphere of learning and reduces affective filter and
thus facilitate acquisition (Krashen, 1994).
- Provides opportunity to interact, active participation, engagement and construction of
meaning. (Kaufman, 2013)
- Encourage LAC and application of knowledge across curriculum, which is higher-level
learning skill (Bloom et al, 1956). Building connections encourages deeper and meaningful
learning, application, and promotes language awareness.
- Make use of authentic resources for focus on both form and meaning, also context,
intention and function, matching the lesson objectives
- Comparing and Contrasting (C-C) strategy based on Ellis (2002) and Widodo (2006)
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Anticipated problems and solutions

- Ss may get excited and noisy during the discussions. T can remind the noise-monitors to
control the noise level within each team.
- Ss may refuse to use English to discuss. T can also remind students to use English before
the activity and disqualify the teams that do not use English. T and Ss can set out some
rules during the task instruction (e.g. use English only and be quiet).
- Ss may be uncooperative during the teamwork. T can remind them their roles and
responsibility. T remind Ss that they need to cooperate in order to win.
- The class size may be too big so not every student get a chance to participate in the
activity. T can ask students to write their ideas in their notebook or on the worksheet. T
can also use pair work or group work to maximize student participation. T can also use
chorus reaction.
- Ss may come up with lots of ideas in Chinese. T can scaffold students to express their
ideas in English. T can also respond to English use only.
- Ss may not be ready to share their ideas in front of the whole class. T can ask students to
chat with their friends first, to ‘rehearse’ their language, or to write their ideas.
- Ss may not have any ideas. For those with little ideas, Ss can exchange ideas with their
neighbors first. T can ask them to do read-aloud, or role-play so as to stimulate more
ideas.
- Some faster learners may finish the activity earlier. T can assign a more difficult activity,
a qualitative extension of the original activity, help preparation for the next activity,
which is at the end of the materials. These meaningful, short and challenging activities
help pleasantly engage the faster learning.
- Ss may get excited and noisy during the game. T can remind the noise-monitors to control
the noise level within each team.
- Ss may be uncooperative during the teamwork. T can remind them their roles and
responsibility. T remind Ss that they need to cooperate in order to learn.
- The class size may be too big so not every student get a chance to participate in the
activity. T can ask students to write their ideas in their notebook or on the worksheet. T
can also use pair work or group work to maximize student participation. T can also use
chorus reaction.
- This lesson will be conducted after the recess. Students may be a bit overexcited at the
beginning of the lesson.
- Ss may get excited and noisy during the pair work. T need to remind them.