Building Cars Live - a good resource for teaching the passive voice

Watching the BBC’s Building Cars Live this week I felt I should post my thoughts on using this as a resource in Year 6 to teach/consolidate learning of the passive voice.  I’ve linked a few clips and some of the transcribed sentences I would use to exemplify the passive.  There are only a couple of examples in each clip and this is important for children to note.  The passive should not be overused and is only necessary in certain situations:

• We don’t know who the agent is: The artworks were stolen overnight on Friday. (We don't know who stole them.)
• The agent is not important in the text: The cars are transported to destinations in Britain and around the world. (We are not interested in who transports them.)
• You want to be vague about who is responsible: Responses to the Consultation Document have been considered and amendments made. (We are not informed who is responsible for the consideration and amendment.  This use of the passive often appears in official writing!)
• The focus of the sentence is the person or thing being acted on, so the agent may not be mentioned or will appear later in the sentence: Mini Coopers are manufactured at the Oxford plant.  Mini Cooper frames are constructed by robots.
• Texts that rely on the passive voice, e.g. some scientific writing: The seeds were planted in the pots and left in different places to germinate.  Observations were made each day to monitor growth.
• In some general truths: Rules are made to be broken.  They were made for each other.

Duvet wearing robots that can open car doors

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035f11v

This clip contains the following sentences, which I would unpick for children as examples of how the passive is formed: a form of the verb ‘be’ as the auxiliary, followed by the past participle of the main verb.  Both uses are present simple passive.

• The jackets are used to keep the robots at an ambient temperature …
• All this data is carefully collected.

James May meets a singing trolley called Dougal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035dwsq

• Toyoto are obsessed with their quest for continuous improvement.  (This sentence highlights that in some passive constructions we use ‘with’ instead of ‘by’.)
• That’s steered by a wiper motor from an Avensis.   (Children will be able to see that we can use contracted forms of ‘be’ as the auxiliary for the passive construction.)

Meet the factory

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035cv4x

• The following example show the first use of the passive voice constructed with the auxiliary but, because we have another passive used in the same sentence, the auxiliary is omitted to make the structure more efficient: Steel panels are pressed in Swindon; engines manufactured in Birmingham …
• This example repeats this structure, but with a list of passives: Once built the cars are driven for the first time, tested, inspected, wrapped and sent out into the world.

How to build a car in less than 2 minutes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035dk01

This clip shows the car’s construction ‘journey’ through the factory, without commentary.  This could be used for children to produce examples of sentences using the passive voice (e.g. The car frame is welded by robots.  The car is dusted in the Emu, using ostrich feathers.  Cars are parked in the huge car park.)  Before they view this clip, they will need to have seen and discussed a number of the other clips from the programme so they understand the speeded-up content.  They will need to see this clip a few times to recognise the procedures and I suggest you model writing one or two passive structures first.

As a group or class, collect their sentences in sequential order to explain the processes in constructing a car.   Trying to structure an explanatory text using the sentences from the above activity, will highlight that overuse of the passive doesn’t work well.  Re-writing using a few, well-placed passives (chosen for correct reasons) and a range of other verb forms will help children understand that variation of verb forms and tenses is required in this type of text, but will also provide opportunity for developing:

• appropriate style and vocabulary to maintain the reader’s interest throughout.
• make choices in drafting and revising writing, showing understanding of how these enhance meaning.
• proof read for grammatical sense (e.g. subject/verb agreements, correct tense use).

I’m sure teachers will be able to find more examples in some of the other clips on the BBC website.  Actually the language used during filming contains many examples of other verb tenses or forms appropriate to non-fiction writing, so could be a useful resource for revision.

Text cohesion

When we write, we want to link and sequence our ideas so that our text flows and easily makes sense to our reader.  We use several different language devices to help hold our text together and signpost to the reader how different parts relate to each other.  This is called cohesion.

Much of the thinking around cohesion comes from Halliday and Hasan (1976).  They proposed 5 types of cohesive ties: reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction and lexical cohesion.  Details about these different ties is substantial, but the summary below should more than cover what we, as primary teachers, need to know about text cohesion.

Reference

Within a text, ideas are expressed and elaborated upon.  Reference is the identification of a specific word or idea mentioned in the text, which provides continuity for the reader as they try to develop the meaning of what is written.  It signals that particular information is to be retrieved from the text.  Reference within a text can be anaphoric (referring back to something already mentioned) or cataphoric (referring forward to an idea not yet mentioned).  Let’s look at some examples.

Referring to something already mentioned (anaphoric reference)

Pronouns (personal and possessive)

• My husband has retired.  He is enjoying himself.
• I found a pencil case in the playground.  Sophie told me it was hers.

Pronouns (relative)

• The red car, which was being driven by the robber, screamed up the road.
• The politician, who was not very popular, left the venue through the back door.

Determiners

Usually determiners are used at the beginning of a noun phrase, but they can be used as pronouns, replacing a noun.

• King Henry had already married twice, but that didn’t stop him marrying again.
• Would you like some cakes?  Yes, I’ll take these please.
• I went into the shop to buy one book and came out with another.
• I saw a red and a blue blouse, but I didn’t like either.
• The protesters were asked to leave.  Some refused.
• He says one thing and does another.

The following determiners can be used in this way

• demonstratives: (this, that, these, those)
• Universal determiners: each, every, all, both
• Partitive determiners: some, someone, anyone, anybody, no-one, none, neither, either
• Quantifiers: many, much, few, little, several, enough
• Numerals – cardinal and ordinal, one, the first

Nouns
Various nouns can refer to items already mentioned and often they indicate some feeling as well (often used in persuasive texts):

• Children spell better if they learn 10 spellings a week.  This claim/assumption/lie/argument/promise/rumour/suggestion is open to debate.
• During training, the footballer broke his leg.  This accident/disaster was a blow to the club.

Various words or phrases which have a comparative function, e.g. adjectives and adverbs

• The door opened and a cat shot across the road.  Ten minutes later the same cat was seen in the car park.
• Roses are very beautiful.  The same is true of orchids.
• She wore a red dress, with a matching hat.
• Sam believed Santa would arrive down the chimney at midnight.  Mum knew differently.
• The 5^th brigade surrounded the castle.  The Rifles were positioned similarly.
• I thought life was wonderful.  I had no reason to think otherwise.

Referring forward to things that are about to be mentioned (cataphoric reference).

This type of reference is not used as frequently, but the following examples show how it can be created:

• Well, you might not believe this, but I don’t like sweets much.
• These were the facts.  On a cold winter’s day in December…
• The following account is based on notes from that period.
• Hercule Poirot drew the following conclusions: that the murder had been committed by the policeman.
• In the next chapter, we will examine the theory in detail.
• The details below will provide you with the truth.
• There is only one actress who could have been chosen for this role: Dame Judi Dench.

Substitution
The difference between substitution and referencing can seem a little confusing at first glance.  Whereas referencing relates to the meaning of the text and retrieval of a specific thing mentioned, substitution is the replacement of one item by another and it relates particularly to the replacement of the wording in the text.  The following examples highlight the difference between these.

• My battery has run out.  I need to recharge it.  (This is reference, because the ‘it’ is referring to the ‘battery’ previously mentioned.)
• My battery has run out.  I need to get another one.  (This is substitution, because ‘another one’ does not refer to the same battery previously mentioned.

Substitution can be nominal (replacing the noun or noun phrase), verbal (replacing the verb or verb phrase) or clausal (replacing the whole clause); the substitute item has to have the same structural function as the item it is replacing.  The most usual substitutes are:

Nominal substitution – one, ones, same.  The substitute often carries some information that distinguishes it from the original item, e.g. a different modifier. 

• I love eating smarties, especially the orange ones.
• The cheese sandwich was good, but the smoked salmon one was better!
• My father is a doctor.  All being well, I will be the same.

Verbal substitution – do, (sometimes ‘do so’), which may substitute just the verb or the verb plus other elements.

• Have you washed up?  I will do later.
• Why don’t you complain to the council?  I have done.
• Words do not come to mind as easily as they used to do.

Clausal substitution – so, not

• Is there going to be a storm?  The weather forecaster says so/not.
• Will that be enough?  If so, I will be relieved.  If not, I shall cry.
• Are you all right?  I think so.

Ellipsis
In English people often omit words rather than repeat them.  Different types of ellipsis are as follows.

Noun/pronoun ellipsis

In compound sentences, often the subject is omitted before the second verb, e.g. The dog barked and jumped.

The noun can also be omitted by using ‘have’ – She probably has a temperature – she certainly looks as if she has.

Verbal ellipsis (usually lexical verb although sometimes the auxiliaries can be ellipted

• Have you been playing?  Yes I have.
• What have you been doing? Swimming. 

If you have just described an action or a state and you want to introduce a new, contrasting subject, you can use ‘than’ + the auxiliary verb.

• She can see better than he can.
• He was earning more than I was.

To change the verb tense/form or modality:

• Cook leeks exactly as you would onions.
• They would stop if they could.
• Very few of us want to go, although we know we must.
• The poster should have created more interest than it has.

Often used in passive:

• I’m sure it was repeated on the news.  It must have been.

‘Do’ is often used.  (also with negative)

• Do the children want to come?  I think they do.
• Does the parrot talk? Yes he does.  No he doesn’t.
• Did John Lennon write that song?  I’m sure he did/didn’t.

Adjective ellipsis – when using the verb ‘be’

• I think you are right.  I’m sure I am.
• She was great!  I thought she might be.

 

Clausal ellipsis

• With infinitive verb.
• He advised her to visit a doctor, but she couldn’t afford to.
• Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.
• At last he agreed to do what I asked him to
• Do you think parents know how long planning takes?  No, I don’t think they do.
• Has she got any idea about how he feels?  She should (have).
• Will she be happy there?  She’d better (be).
• Who was going to switch on the Christmas lights?  The mayor was.

Conjunctions
This term in cohesion relates to connections made internally within sentences (conjunctions), and connections made externally between sentences and paragraphs (connecting adverbs, sometimes referred to as conjuncts or transition words).  For more information, click here.

Connecting adverbs (conjuncts) create cohesive links throughout a text, linking sentences and paragraphs to help the reader maintain meaning.  For instance, in story language, using time conjuncts will help the reader with the sequencing of the information: that afternoon, the next day, later that evening.  Whereas, in a persuasive text, you can assist your reader through the text by signalling the points you are adding: moreover, in addition, furthermore.

Considering which connecting adverbs are appropriate to which text type is important for cohesion.  We would not necessarily use the same conjuncts for a story as we would an explanation or a non-chronological report.

Lexical cohesion
Lexical cohesion relies on vocabulary choice.  Halliday and Hasan provide two different types:

• reiteration, which includes repetition, synonyms, close synonyms and superordinates (words which include the meaning of another word, e.g. animal is a superordinate word for cat).
• collocation, which includes words which are associated or belong together.

‘What is it, you daft animal?’ murmured Jed, as his pony flinched at the sudden noise.  Soothed by his master’s voice, the young horse shook his mane and settled.  Jed wondered once again if the money was well spent on this colt, when he could have picked a more experienced horse for the job.

In the above paragraph, we have repetition of horse, synonyms of pony and colt, animal as a superordinate and we also have the word mane, which is closely associated with horses.

Verb tense and form
Cohesion in text is also created by maintenance of the same tense/form and by correct selection of tense, for example when expanding verb phrases.  Experienced writers are able to use movement between tenses and forms in a sophisticated manner for effect, but children often find maintaining consistency more problematic.  They may start a recount in the past tense and move into the present tense later in the text, or slip into the past tense in a set of instructions, when they started in the imperative. 

 

References

Halliday, M.A.K. & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

The passive voice - using different verb tenses and forms

A colleague asked me the other day about using the passive in different verb tenses and forms and what these would look like.  Most teachers are fairly confident in using the simple present and simple past passive forms, but it is important to know what the other forms look like, especially when identifying good examples in authentic texts to use in class.   

As the passive is included in the statutory appendix of the 2014 National Curriculum and is required teaching for year 6 pupils, I thought it might be useful to post some key subject knowledge about the active and passive voices and detail the most common passive tenses and forms, with examples.

Most of the sentences we write are in the active voice.  In this structure, the subject of the sentence is the person or thing which is doing the action and the object of the sentence is what is being affected by the action.  For example:

The dog      chased       the cat.

subject               verb               object

doing the      (active form)       affected by

action                                       the action

The passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb ‘be’ and the past participle of the main verb.  In the passive, the person or thing being affected by the action becomes the subject of the sentence; the person or thing doing the action may or may not be provided.  For example:

The cat        was chased.

subject          verb (past passive form)

affected

by action

The cat        was chased          by the dog

subject                     verb                       preposition + the agent

affected         (past passive form)         doing the action

by action

Below are examples of different tenses and verb forms in the passive, using the main verb ‘fly’.  The list isn’t exhaustive, but provides the most common variations and a few less usual ones.

She is flown.                                             Simple present passive

She was flown.                                          Simple past passive

She is being flown.                                     Present continuous passive

She was being flown.                                 Past continuous passive

She has been flown.                                  Present perfect passive

She had been flown.                                  Past perfect passive

She will be flown.                                      Simple future passive

She is going to be flown.                           Simple future passive (is going to)

She will be being flown.                             Future continuous passive

She is going to be being flown.                   Future continuous passive (although I find this an ugly structure)

She has been being flown.                         Present perfect continuous passive

She had been being flown.                         Past perfect continuous passive

She will have been flown.                           Future perfect passive

She is going to have been flown.                 Future perfect passive

She could have been flown.                       Conditional present perfect passive

She would have been being flown.              Conditional present perfect continuous passive

It will be important for children to understand that we use the passive to create more formality in writing and that it is often used to distance the writer from the content being presented.  In some cases this enables the writer to ‘hide’ responsibility.  For example, the omission of the agent in the sentence below would hide who to blame or to thank, depending on your point of view and occupation.  (Although for many teachers I know, this would be a shorter working day!)

‘It has been decided to extend the school day to 9.00 pm.’

Of course, when writing, we may not know who the agent is and cannot include this information in our sentence.  For example, in journalistic writing, the perpetrator of a crime may not be known: The statue was damaged last night, at around ten.