THE PASSIVE VOICE

Here you have a presentation to learn how the passive voice is formed in English.

But would you like to practice the passive in a funnier way? In the links below you can find the videos we watched and the activities we did in class to work with the passive voice. Enjoy!

Planet 51

Ratatouille

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

To write explanation texts you must use the present simple tense, either in the active or in the passive voice. The next video contains a review of the form and uses of the present simple tense in English.

EXPLANATION TEXTS

Explanation texts often use features to help make the meaning clear:

• the present tense
• clear, precise sentences
• formal tone (impersonal)
• short paragraphs
• diagrams and artwork, with captions, arrows and labels

Here you have an example of an explanation about how bees make honey:

When you write an explanation make sure it contains the typical features for this kind of texts. You can practice writing some explanations about the following questions. Don't just tell the answer to the question, but try to give some more information about the subject as well. Then, use the checklist below to see if your explanation is right.

QUESTIONS:

- Why do you wear a hat, gloves and a scarf in the winter?

- Why do people borrow books from a library?

- Why do people recycle?

- Why are there pictures in children's books?

- Why do houses have windows?

- Why are dictionaries in alphabetical order?

CHECKLIST:

Features of Explanation Writing	Your Writing
Does it have a title to tell you what the writing is about?
Is there a general opening statement?
Is it written in a series of logical steps?
Do the steps continue until the explanation is complete?
Is it written in simple present tense?
Does it use time connectives? e.g. then, next, after a while, etc.
Does it use causal connectives? e.g. because, so, this causes, this results in, therefore… etc.
Are there diagrams or illustrations to help with the explanation? (Optional)

SHADOWS

When light hits an opaque object, the place behind the object stays dark. This area is called the "shadow". Let's see some interesting facts about light and shadows.

WHAT'S IN A SHADOW?

SHADOWS AND DIRECTIONS

You can also make funny things with shadows. Enjoy this video about making objects alone with one's hands. I hope you like it.

And now it's clear how light and shadows are formed, you can make the following chatterbox to check how much you have learned. Download the picture, follow the instructions and play!

DAY AND NIGHT ON EARTH

Humans use day and night as signals for our daily activities. When the sun comes up in the morning, we get out of bed and go to school, work or play. When night arrives, we end our activities and go to sleep.We use the cycle of the day as a way to identify when we should be active and when we should rest. But what causes the change from day to night? Here is the explanation.

WHERE DOES LIGHT COME FROM?

What is a light source?

A source of light is anything that gives out light of its own. Nowadays there are many ways to make light, but the main light source for Earth has always been the sun. Here we have a video that can help you identify all the sources of light around us.

Now, what sources of light can you see in this video?

HORROR POEMS

Here is a video about one of the poems we read in class about night and fear.

"Life Doesn't Frighten Me", by Maya Angelou.

VIDEO WATCHING: Who's afraid of the dark?

Stanley and his pets all want to get to sleep, but Stanley keeps hearing mysterious noises. His mom assures him that there is nothing to be afraid of, but Stanley remains convinced that he's hearing a scary monster. He knows that owls can see in the dark and wonders how they do it. He seeks the answer in The Great Big Book of Everything in the hope that it will help him to spot the monster so everyone can finally get some sleep.

ACTIVITIES:

1.   VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS TO REMEMBER. Try to explain the meaning of these words and expressions or give a synonym:

      

      Sleep tight:

      To be scared of:

      To be startled:

      Here goes nothing:

      Night light:

      To get some sleep:

2.    The cat says: “’I’m as brave as a tigress. I’m scared of nothing”. Can you finish these sentences with a suitable animal?

To be as fast as …      To be as lazy as …      To be as dangerous as …      To be as slow as  …       To be as tall as  …      To be as big as  …

-           -          -

3.   Can you remember three facts about owls?

4.    Answer these questions:

      Where does the sound of the tiger come from?

      What is Stanley’s favourite tape?

        Why is Stanley’s mum scared when she opens the closet?

      What are the three sounds that scared Stanley?

5.    Stanley’s mum says: “When you hear scary noises at night there’s usually a simple explanation”. Can you think of some examples?

The sound looks like…	but it really is…
- A ghost dragging its sheet	- someone sweeping the floor.