Category: Class

Questions in Passive

The passive form is used to change the focus of an action. In this sentence, we are more concerned with or interested in the object that receives the action and not the one who did it. Therefore, the object becomes the subject. 

We use to be and the past participle to form questions in passive. 

Typically, we use wh and how question words in interrogative sentences. However, with the passive voice, some sentences need not a question word.

Examples:

Passive questions without question words in simple present:

Form of besubjectpast participlerest of the sentence
Isthe food cookedin the oven?
Areeurosacceptedin Switzerland?

Passive questions with question words in simple present:

Question word Form of be subject past participle rest of the sentence
Whereisthe foodcooked?
Whyare euros accepted in Switzerland?

Passive questions without question words in simple past:

Form of be subject past participle rest of the sentence
Wasthe housebuiltin the 70’s?
Werethe studentsrequiredto study from home?

Passive questions with question words in simple past:

Question wordform of besubjectpast participlerest of the sentence
Whenwasthe housebuilt?
Whywere the students required to study from home?

Examples of passive questions in other tenses:

TenseAuxiliary  subjectverb
Present PerfectHasthe computer  been fixed?
Past PerfectHadthe computer  been fixed?
will-future Willthe computer  be fixed?
going to-futureIsthe computer  going to be fixed?
Future PerfectWillthe computer  have been fixed?
ConditionalWould the computer  be fixed?
Conditional PerfectWould the computer  have been fixed?

Progressive forms:

Tense  Auxiliarysubjectverb
Present ProgressiveIs the computer  being fixed?
Past ProgressiveWas the computer  being fixed?

Tonga Cleans Up After Tsunami and Volcanic Eruption

B1 – Intermediate

Tonga is known as the “Friendly Island” because of the welcoming attitude and hospitality locals show their tourists. Most of the islands are classified as high islands because they have been raised above sea level by repeated volcanic activity. Other islands were formed by more explosive volcanoes.

Let’s read the article below to know more about Tonga’s efforts in cleaning up after the undersea volcano eruption.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2201/220120-tonga-tsunami-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How long do you think it will take Tonga to recover?
  2. What can you do to help the people of Tonga?
  3. What would life be like with no Internet in a country?
  4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? How would you cope if a natural disaster hit your town?
  5. Talk about helping in cleaning up a city or a place after a disaster.

Boredom and Sadistic Behavior

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What brings about sadism? A study made by a team of researchers at Aarhus University has found evidence that people who are bored behave more sadistically to reduce the effects of being indifferent.

Read the article below about how boredom leads to setting off sadistic behavior and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-01-boredom-factor-sadistic-behavior.html#:~:text=A%20team%20of%20researchers%20at,in%20setting%20off%20sadistic%20behavior.&text=A%20closer%20look%20showed%20that,others%20more%20often%20when%20bored.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on the results of this study?
  2. What do you think of trolling behavior of people online because they are bored?
  3. What bores you? How does boredom make you feel? What do you do when you get bored?
  4. What was the strangest thing you did out of boredom?
  5. How would you help someone who says they are bored?

Recycling and Reusing COVID Tests and Masks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The use of face masks is the most important weapon that we have against the COVID-19 virus. Even before the pandemic, wearing of face masks was already customary in some parts of Asia such as China, Japan, and Korea. People wear it to protect themselves from illness, allergies, pollution, and more.

While beneficial, it generates millions tons of plastic wastes and it is causing a lot of environmental problems. So people came up with some recycling initiatives to reduce COVID plastic wastes.

Let’s read the article below to find out more about these recycling initiatives.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/01/28/can-covid-tests-and-masks-be-recycled-and-reused-these-people-have-found-a-way

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on COVID tests and masks being recycled and reused? Do you think it is safe to do this?
  2. How do you safely dispose your used masks and test kits?
  3. Do you agree that “hygiene theatre” should be stopped? Is it really effective in providing additional protection against the spread of Covid-19?
  4. Are there recycling points in your city/country? If not, do you think you should have one?
  5. What are other ways to manage all our pandemic wastes?

What is the Metaverse?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Recently, a brand new concept in technology has emerged known as the “Metaverse”. Many believe it to be the next big thing in technology and business.

But what exactly is the “Metaverse”?

To learn more about it, watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, will the “Metaverse” be the next big trend that a lot people would invest in? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think makes Metaverse interesting?
  3. What concerns could we have over it?
  4. Is Facebook making a good decision by switching from a social media platform to a “Metaverse”? Explain your stance.
  5. Do you believe that socializing with people in these “Metaverses” is better than socializing in real life? Share your thoughts on this.

Investors Buy Up Metaverse Real Estate

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The metaverse describes a vision of a connected 3D virtual world where real and digital worlds are integrated using technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. It is now possible to buy and trade things in the metaverse like plots of land or even virtual houses.

Watch the video to know what owning a virtual land has to offer.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think investors are paying real money to buy virtual lands?
  2. Would you invest in the Metaverse real estate? Why/why not?
  3. Do you think investors are playing a risky game and winning in cryptocurrency? Elaborate.

When Is a Pandemic Over?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s no clear-cut definition for when a pandemic starts and ends, but according to Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, “It’s somewhat a subjective judgment because it’s not just about the number of cases. It’s about the severity and it’s about the impact”.

Watch the video to know how the world decides when the pandemic is over.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How have people and societies lived through this current pandemic?
  2. With so much misinformation out there, how can we know what to believe during a pandemic?
  3. When do you think the pandemic will be over?
  4. What are your thoughts on the big possibility of another pandemic?
  5. What are you most looking forward to when the pandemic ends?
  6. What is your unique experience during the pandemic?

Tips for Giving a Great Presentation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Business presentations are one of the most vital parts of closing in business deals. They’re conducted to present and express the idea of your products and/or services.

Usually, visual materials are being used to convey the important information to the prospective clients or buyers.

Here are some tips on how to have a great Business Presentation

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced to do a Business Presentation? If yes, what’s the product/service you present?
  2. What are the tips to have a great Business Presentation according to the video?
  3. Can you give other tips?
  4. Why is it important to know you audience first?
  5. Can you explain the importance of visuals in business presentation?

Can Stereotypes Ever Be Good?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Stereotypes often have negative connotations attached to them for good reason. Because of stereotypes, certain people and groups are limited in their actions and opportunities and are pre-judged before they can even prove themselves or disprove others.

Nowadays, we are all challenged to let go of stereotypes. Even if some sound positive, stereotypes can still impact groups in a negative way.

Watch the video below on how stereotypes affect the lives of certain groups.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do stereotypes exist?
2. Who are the most stereotyped communities? Why?
3. What are some stereotypes that you have heard of or encountered?
4. Have you ever had any stereotypes against a certain group or have you experienced being stereotyped? Explain.
5. How can stereotypes be challenged and ended?

It is said that…/He is said to…/He is supposed to…

The passive forms of reporting verbs are commonly used in news reports or when someone else told us about it. We use this structure to deliver information when its accuracy is unverified. 

Examples of reporting verbs are: said, believed, expected, known, reported, alleged, considered, claimed, suggested, etc.

In this lesson, we will focus on the reporting verb “said“.

We can use these passive forms in two ways.

Sentence structure 1:Sentence structure 2: 
It is said that + subject + verbSomeone is said to + infinitive
It is said that the company is applying for an ERTE.The company is said to be applying for an ERTE.
It is said that this training course is totally irrelevant.This training course is said to be totally irrelevant.
It is said that she is unable to keep a secret.She is said to be unable to keep a secret.

In some conditions, ‘it is supposed to…’ also means ‘it is said to…’

it is supposed to…‘it is said to…Explanation
I will start binge-watching that TV series. It’s supposed to be action-packed.It is said to be action-packed. People are claiming the tv series is action-packed.
She wants to try meditation. It is supposed to be relaxing.It is said that meditation is relaxing.Those who have tried meditation are saying that it is relaxing.
Why did he move to Germany? He’s supposed to have found a better job there.It is said that he found a better job in Germany.It is said that he found a better job in Germany hence the move.

In other conditions, ‘it is supposed to…’ means something is planned or expected to happen but oftentimes didn’t really happen.

The meeting was supposed to start at 9 o’clock but it’s already half past nine and the host hasn’t arrived yet.
The exhibition was supposed to be free but they asked us for an entrance fee.
She’d better not waste any more time on playing video games. She’s supposed to do the laundry today.