A presentation on how to use the passive voice

1. Where is Lauren from?:
A Lesson on the Passive Voice
Goals:
- Learn about San Francisco
and Berkeley
- Use the passive voice
correctly
- Describe places in your city
or neighborhood

2. I’m from California.
• As a child, I lived
in San Diego.
• As an adult, I
lived in the San
Francisco Bay
Area.

3. My home in San Francisco

4. Six things I like about the San Francisco
Bay Area:

5. #1: It’s beautiful.
• San Francisco is built on
hills next to the ocean.
• The streets are lined
with Victorian houses.
• Every year, San Francisco
is visited by over 16
million tourists.

6. #2: It’s international.
• 112 different languages are
spoken in San Francisco.
• The most common languages
are English, Spanish, Chinese,
and Vietnamese.
• Delicious international food is
served all over the city.
• The Mission District is packed
with wonderful Mexican
restaurants.

7. #3: It’s creative.
• The Silicon Valley is the
world capital of technology.
• iPads and iPods are designed
here at the Apple Headquarters.
• EA Games designs videogames
here such as The Sims and FIFA
Football.
• The headquarters of
Google, Youtube, and Facebook
are also located here.

8. #4: It’s liberal.
• In general, all people are
accepted here.
• People aren’t judged by
their race, gender, or
sexual orientation.
• A large gay community is
based in the Castro
District.

9. #5: It’s intellectual.
• More than fifty colleges
and universities are
located here.
• Two of these
schools, Berkeley and
Stanford, are considered
world-class universities.
• People go to cafés to
read, study, or discuss
ideas.

10. #6: It’s on the water.
• Beaches are found
all around the city.
• The weather is
mild – not too hot
and not to cold!
• The ocean can be
seen from your
home or office
window.

11. Visit San Francisco! You will enjoy it. 

12. Grammar:
The Passive Voice
• San Francisco is built on
hills next to the ocean.
• The streets are lined
with Victorian houses.
• Every year, San Francisco
is visited by over 16
million tourists.

13. Grammar:
The Passive Voice
• San Francisco is built on
hills next to the ocean.
• The streets are lined
with Victorian houses.
• Every year, San Francisco
is visited by over 16
million tourists.

14. When do you use the passive?

15. We use passive when…
• San Francisco is built on
hills next to the ocean. • We talk about actions.
• The streets are lined • It is not clear or
with Victorian houses. important who does
the action.
• Every year, San Francisco
is visited by over 16
• You can use “by” to
million tourists.
say who does the
action.

16. To form the passive
Positive:
• is/are/am/be + past participle
The streets are lined with Victorian houses.
Negative:
• isn’t / aren’t + past participle
People aren’t judged by their race, gender, or
sexual orientation.

17. What is a past participle?
• You studied them with the present perfect.
• Use the chart in your grammar book!
Regular: (-ed) Irregular:
accepted been
based bought
considered found
designed had
judged made
located seen
served spoken

18. Which sentence is passive?
1. One hundred and twelve different languages
are spoken in San Francisco.
2. The most common languages are English,
Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

19. Which sentence is passive?
• EA Games designs videogames such as The
Sims and FIFA Football.
• iPads and iPods are designed at the Apple
Headquarters.

20. Which sentence is passive?
• More than fifty colleges and universities are
located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• People go to cafés to read, study, or discuss
ideas.

21. University of California, Berkeley
Landmark Doe Library Memorial Stadium
Cinema
Telegraph Ave.
Zellerbach Theatre
Café Strada
Blondie’s Pizza
College Ave.
City of Berkeley People’s Park

22. Copy the questions on your paper. Then
use the map to answer the questions.
Example: Where is coffee served?
Coffee is served at Strada Café.
1. Where are plays performed?
2. Where are formal football games played?
3. Where are informal basketball games played?
4. Where is pizza served?
5. Where are books kept?
6. Where are films shown?

23. Check your answers.
Example: Where is coffee served?
Coffee is served at Café Strada.
1. Where are plays performed?
1. Where are formal football games played?
1. Where are informal basketball games played?
1. Where is pizza served?
1. Where are books stored?
1. Where are films shown?

24. Your turn to write
Describe your city or neighborhood using some
of the words below. Name some important
buildings and tell what is done in each building.
Underline the passive verbs.
museum castle concert park
exhibition cinema theatre megastore
Example:
Berkeley is a wonderful city. Concerts are
performed at Zellerbach Hall. Basketball
games are played at People’s Park…

25. Share your writing!