Watch that bench
By Terry Fredrickson
Using active or passive depends on your focus.
Whether you use active or passive voice depends on what you are focusing on. For example, in this short video clip, watch the bench the woman was sitting on. What happened to it? Start your answer with "It". Click on the photo to see the video.
What happened to the bench?
It .....................
Now focus on the woman. What happened to her?
She ....................
In the first case, we clearly need to use the passive voice since the bench didn't do anything. Here we might say:
It was moved (or "removed") by a little girl.
In the second case when we talk about the woman, active voice in necessary:
She fell down.
Showing off your own video
If you have a short video or an idea that you think would work to illustrate an English verb form, you can connect us through twitter or contact me directly at: [email protected]
If you have a finished video, you can upload it to a site like Youtube so we can have a look at it. We can then embed it on a page on our site as well. Make a short lesson together with your video so users can understand the main point.
You can also point out videos that you find online that might be useful for understanding verbforms.
| << Back | Next >> |
