Newspaper Reports: Passive Voice

Newspaper reports: practising the passive

© 2008 www.teachitworld.com 9404 Page 1 of 7

Exercise 1

Read the newspaper article about a crime. Find the answers to the following questions. a) Who found the body?

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

b) Where was the body taken?

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

c) What is a morgue?

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

d) How many bodies have been found in the river this year?

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

e) Do we know who has said that organized crime might be responsible for the crimes?

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

Body found in Black River

The body of a woman of about 40 years of age was found floating in the Black River yesterday afternoon. A travelling salesman reported the find at four in the morning. He called the police and the body was taken to the county morgue

where it will be examined by forensic scientists. The victim hasn’t been identified yet.

This is the third body that has been found in the Black River since the beginning of the year. There are theories that

organized crime has been using the river to get rid of unwanted competition. Similar occurrences have been reported recently in other nearby towns. However, many people think it was suicide.

Exercise 2 Underline the verbs in the article. Which are active and which are passive? Write the active and passive verbs in the chart.

Active Passive



Exercise 3

Maria and Dan are visiting their friend Samantha for the weekend. They are looking at an old painting. Write the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses. Some of them are passive.

Maria: Who’s this?

Dan: I think it’s Samantha’s mother. She was a good friend of my mother’s.

Maria: It’s a beautiful picture.

Dan: Yes, it (1) ....................................................... (paint) by a famous artist. She’s pretty,

isn’t she? Her name was Samantha too, but everyone called her Sam. I can’t imagine

anyone calling our friend Samantha Sam, can you?

Maria: No, I can’t. When (2) ....................................................... the picture

....................................................... (paint)?

Dan: I don’t really know. Why?

Maria: She reminds me of someone. When (3) ....................................................... she

....................................................... (die)?

Dan: She died when Samantha was a few weeks old. She (4)

....................................................... (find) in the Black River. It (5)

....................................................... (say) she had killed herself, but Samantha (6)

....................................................... (tell) by her father that it was an accident. Let’s see

… . Maria, she looks like you! Look at her eyes.

Maria: That’s impossible. My mother died the day I was born.

Dan: Maybe you’re more than just a friend of Samantha’s. Maybe you’re a relative.



Exercise 4

Help the reporter who wrote the following newspaper article improve it. Rewrite the underlined sentences in the spaces below making them passive.

Midvale Park Opens to the Public

After many years of preparation, (1) they have opened Midvale Park. (2) They established Midvale Park in 1999 when (3) they found a unique ecosystem around Midvale Lake. (4) They isolated the area from the

public and (5) they encouraged local plants and animals to reproduce.

(6) They are still supporting the local animal population today and (7) they will increase it yearly. ( 8) They can re-introduce about two

new species a month. (9) They report that the ecosystem system is strong enough for the public to visit now and (10) they are opening new related exhibits at the museum next week.

1. ....................................................................................

2. .................................................................................... in 1999…

3. …when .................................................................................... around Midvale Lake.

4. .................................................................................... from the public….

5. …and .................................................................................... .

6. .................................................................................... today and…

7. … .................................................................................... yearly.

8. .................................................................................... a month.

9. ......................................................................... the ecosystem system is strong enough….

10. ….and .................................................................................... at the museum next week.



Exercise 5

Work in pairs. Student A: You are a newspaper reporter. Interview a witness to a bank robbery (Student B). Use the notes to ask your questions. You made these notes when you interviewed another witness, a twelve-year-old boy. You aren't convinced he really saw what happened. Discover if the facts you got were true or not. Also try to get additional information. Take notes of the witness’ answers. You’ll have to write the article later.

Bank robbery 2–3 thieves? One came in the back of the bank All had guns No money was taken One teller was injured The thieves ran out the back They couldn’t open the safe The bank manager called the police

When you finish the interview, work with your partner and write the article. It is a newspaper article so use the passive whenever logical. ................................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Student B: You were a witness to a bank robbery. A newspaper reporter (Student A) is going to interview you. Use the notes below to answer. Add additional information if possible. Use your imagination. Bank robbery There were four thieves All came in the front door of the bank with guns in their hands They took the money in your wallet and your watch The teller couldn’t open the safe. No one was injured The thieves ran out the front and got in a blue car You called the police on your cell phone The bank manager wasn’t in the bank When you finish the interview, work with your partner and write the article. It is a newspaper article so use the passive whenever logical. ................................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEACHER’S NOTES & KEY



Aim: To use and review the active and passive voice in various verb tenses.

Topic: Newspaper articles

Lesson timings: Exercises 1–3: 25 minutes; Exercises 4–6: 10 minutes each; Exercise 7: 20

minutes; Total: 75 minutes.

Exercises 1–3

These are designed to rapidly review the meaning and formation of the passive. Allow the students to explore the language in the article as they do the activities.

Exercise 1 These are comprehension questions to be sure students understand the article. Check any unknown vocabulary. Key a A traveling salesman b The morgue c A place bodies are taken for identification and investigation d 3 e No, we don’t know who said it. It sounds like gossip. In English, the passive voice is commonly used in newspaper articles and scientific papers. We use it when we don’t know who did the action. We form the passive with a form of the verb be + a past participle. Columbus discovered America in 1492. (active) America was discovered in 1492 (by Columbus). (passive)

Exercise 2 Ask the students which of the verbs is active and which passive. Call attention to the formation of each type of verb. Ask students the verb tense of each verb. Key was found – past passive reported – past active called – past active was taken – past passive hasn’t been identified – present perfect passive has been found – present perfect passive are – present active has been using – present perfect progressive passive has been reported – present perfect passive Key

Active Passive reported, called, think

was found, was taken, will be examined, hasn't been identified, has been found, has been used, have been reported



Exercise 3

This practice is designed to reinforce the ideas presented in exercises 1 and 2. Key 1 was painted 2 was ... painted 3 did ... die 4 was found 5 was said 6 was told You use the passive when it isn’t important who did an action. What is important is the action itself. They said she killed herself. � Who is ‘they’? We don’t know who said it, so we can use the passive: It was said she killed herself. If someone specific did the action, we use the active or put the person who did the action after by…… This indicates who did the action, but emphasizes that the action is in reality more important than who did it. Her father told her that it was an accident. She was told by her father that it was an accident.

Exercise 4 This exercise practices when to use the passive voice. While correcting, emphasize that the passive is usually used when we don’t know or don’t care about who said something. Ask the students who said what is reported in the article. The grammar explanation on the previous page also presents the use of the ‘by ___’ phrase that is used when the person who does an action is less important than the action itself. Key

1 Midvale Park has been opened. 2 Midvale Park was established in 1999… 3 …when a unique ecosystem was found around Midvale Lake. 4 The area was isolated from the public…. 5 …and local plants and animals were encouraged to reproduce. 6 The local animal population is still being supported today and… 7 … it will be increased yearly. 8 About two new species can be re-introduced a month. 9 It is reported that the ecosystem is strong enough…. 10 ….and new related exhibits are being opened at the museum next week.

Exercise 5 This activity allows students to try out being newspaper reporters while working in pairs. Student A is a newspaper reporter and Student B witnessed a bank robbery. In the first part Student A interviews Student B. Student A uses notes from a previous interview to design the questions. Student B has notes about the crime that was witnessed. In the second part, A and B work together to write the newspaper article. They can use the articles in earlier exercises as models. Encourage the use of the passive voice.

News & Politics

Newspaper Reports: Passive Voice