Using visual aids: picture as a media of teaching (final exam)

USING VISUAL AIDS: PICTURE AS A MEDIA OF         TEACHING

        

Created by:
NUR AZIZAH (15222034)
3A
     
                            



English Education Program
Faculty of Social Science, Language, and                       Literature Education
Institut Pendidikan Indonesia
2018





PREFACE

Alhamdulillah, all the praises to Allah SWT, the creator of this universe, the Lord of all creatures. Blessing and Peace be upon to our Last Prophet Muhammad SAW, his families, his friends and his followers forever. By the God’s will and kindness, the researcher has been able to finish this paper to fullfilment an assignment of  Teaching Media.
The writer tried to arrange this paper as good as possible, although it can be realized that there is no tusk without cracking. Therefore, the researcher would greatly appreciate constructive comments, corrections, and suggestions which would encourage her for a further study.
Finally, the writer hopes this paper would be useful, especially to her and generally to all the readers, amin.




Garut, 2018



The writer











CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study 

Education is necessary for everybody. Education is very vital, deprived of education no can lead a good life. Teaching and learning are the important element in education. The teacher use different approaches and substantial to teach their students and their active learning. With the passage of time, altered methods and techniques are entered in the field of education and teacher use different kind of aids to make effective learning. Visual aids arouse the interest of learners and help the teachers to explain the concepts easily. Visual aids are those instructional aids which are used in the classroom to encourage students learning process. According to Burton “Visual aids are those sensory objects or images which initiate or stimulate and support learning”. Kinder, S. James; describe visual aids as “Visual aids are any devices which can be used to make the learning experience more real, more accurate and more active”.
 In teaching English to children, the teacher should pay attention not only on how the right implementation the techniques used but also on how these techniques are suited to the elementary students’ characteristics. It is the target to create the teaching learning process more interesting to the children. Every teacher wants to run the teaching learning process effectively. The use of media is aimed to enable the students to get the lesson and give an enjoyable atmosphere in classroom to encourage the students’ motivation and students’ interest to the lesson.
 Pictures are very helpful media especially to avoid misunderstanding of the questions since the students can relate the questions to the pictures given. Pictures have an important role in the understanding of meaning. They give illustration of something and make it clear. Pictures are used to help students to understand and comprehend something clearly and easily.



Research question 

1. What is the definition of picture?
2. What are the benefits of visual aids: picture in learning process? 
3. What is the effectiveness of visual aids in students learning process?

Purpose of the research

1. To know the definition of picture.
2. To know the benefits of visual aids: picture in the students learning process.
3. To know the effectiveness of visual aids: picture in students learning process.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1. The definition of picture 

Pictures as a part of visual aids are used as a technique in teaching English vocabulary at elementary schools. Pictures that can be sketches, drafts, graphs, comic, poster, cartoon, board drawing, picture in newspapers, magazines, posters, family photograph, calendars, wall chart, Slides, diagrams and maps are widely used as media. According to Webster, picture is an image or likeness of an object, person, scene, reproduced, on flat surface, especially by painting, of photography; a metal image or impression; an idea. (Webster, 1983:1357)  Pictures can be used to explain the meaning of vocabulary items. Virginia French says that for helping students to understand the meaning of a word, a picture is useful. (Virginia French, 1983)
In teaching and learning process, the role of using pictures as media has become the best choice in teaching English especially in vocabulary to the elementary students. Pictures are important to help the students in learning  English vocabulary and memorizing the meanings. Ur says that visual have an important function as aids to learning simply because they attract student’s attention and help encourage them to focus on the subject in hand. (Ur, 1948: 30) Wright states that pictures can play a key role in motivating students contextualizing the language they are using, giving them a reference and helping to discipline the activity. (Wright, 1989:2).Wright states some roles for pictures in speaking and writing
a. Pictures can motivate students and make him or her want to pay attention and take apart.
b. Pictures contribute to the context in which language is being used.
c. Pictures can be described in an objective way or interpreted or responded subjectively.
d. Pictures can cue responses to questions or cue substitutions through controlled practice.
e. Pictures can stimulate and provide information to be referred to in conversation, discussion, and storytelling.
                                                                 (Wright, 1989:17)
From the explanation above it can be seen that Pictures are useful to focus the students’ attention to imagine on what the text says. Pictures are not ambiguous; a picture should contain only what the word means. Using picture is also an effort to help students to understand and comprehend something clearly and easily. However, teaching using pictures have an important role in the understanding. It means that using picture can be a good technique in teaching English vocabulary to the children.

2. The effectiveness of visual aids: picture in students learning process

Learning is a complex process. It can be defined as a change in disposition; a relatively permanent change in behavior over time and this is brought about partly by knowledge. Learning can happen as an outcome of afresh attained skills, principles, perception, knowledge, facts, and new information at hand (Adeyanju, 1997). Learning can be reinforced with different teaching/learning resources because they stimulate, motivate as well as focus learners’ attention for a while during the instructional process. Visual aids arouse the interest of learners and help the teachers to explain the concepts easily.  Visual aids are those instructional aids which are used in the classroom to encourage teaching learning process. As Singh (2005) defines: “Any devices which by sight and sound increase the individual s' practice, outside that attained through read labeled as an audio visual aids”. Visual aids are those instructional devices which are used in the classroom to encourage learning and make it easier and motivating. The material like models, charts, film strip, projectors, radio, television, maps etc. called instructional aids. (Rather, 2004).
Visual aids are effective tool that “invest the past with an air of actuality.” Visual aids distribute the learners with true knowledge, which detention their devotion and help in the understanding of the ancient marvels. They demand to the mind through the visual auditory senses. When we use visual aids as teaching aid, it is one of the aspects which root participation of students in the lesson because when students look at visual model or aid, it is measured as a kind of contribution. Also the uses of visual aids encourage the body movement and it may strengthen the control. Visual aids give chance to speakers to make a more professional and consistent performance. Visual aids are devices present unit of knowledge through auditory of visual stimuli both with a view to aid learning. They concretize the information to be obtainable and help in making learning practice apple real, active and vital. (Agun et al; 1977) Examples of learning resources include visual aids, audio aids, real objects and many others. Visual aids can be very useful in supportive a topic, and the amalgamation of both visual and audio stimuli is particularly effective since the two most important senses are involved (Burrow, 1986).
Based upon research outcomes, the effective use of visuals can decrease learning time, improve comprehension, enhance retrieval, and increase retention. Various types of visuals can be effective learning tools: photos, illustrations, icons, symbols, sketches, figures, and concept maps, to name only a few. Consider how memorable the visual graphics are in logos, for example. You recognize the brand by seeing the visual graphic, even before reading the name of the brand. This type of visual can be so effective that earlier this year Starbucks simplified their logo by dropping their printed name and keeping only the graphic image of the popularly referred to mermaid (technically, it’s a siren). I think we can safely assume that Starbucks Corporation must be keenly aware of how our brains have automatically and effortlessly committed their graphic image to memory.

3. The benefits of visual aids: picture in learning process

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is true in a corporate learning classroom as much as anywhere else. To help learners really grasp a concept, consider incorporating drawings into your corporate trainings to visually represent the different theories, topics and areas of learning that are taught. Using visual facilitation and pre-drawn flip charts not only helps draw in learners (so to speak), but makes it easier for them to remember the concepts they’ve just learned. The simple pictures and the words about the topic offer an easy way for people to link the concept to the picture.
 “I still remember the picture related to x and what I learned about it.” Learners say the visual pieces around the room help them remember key concepts.
Words are abstract and rather difficult for the brain to retain, whereas visuals are concrete and, as such, more easily remembered. To illustrate, think about your past school days of having to learn a set of new vocabulary words each week. You can thank your brain’s amazing visual processor for your ability to easily remember life experiences. Your brain memorized these events for you automatically and without you even realizing what it was doing.
So powerful is visual learning that I embrace it in my teaching and writing. Each page in the psychology textbooks I coauthor has been individually formatted to maximize visual learning. Each lecture slide I use in class is presented in a way to make the most of visual learning. I believe the right visuals can help make abstract and difficult concepts more tangible and welcoming, as well as make learning more effective and long lasting. This is why I scrutinize every visual I use in my writing and teaching to make sure it is paired with content in a clear, meaningful manner.





CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

English is an international language. As we know that English is a way to get through the international communication in globalization era. It is spoken by many people all over the world. English is also a key to open doors to scientific and technical knowledge which is needed for the economic, politic, social, culture, tourism and many other fields. Another fact of the importance of English is a top requirement of those seeking jobs, because many occupations require people who have an English competence. From the facts above, it is obvious that everybody needs English to greet the global era.
Visual aids are tools that help to make an issue or lesson clearer or easier to understand and know (pictures, models, charts, maps, videos, slides, real objects etc.). There are many visual aids available these days. We may classify these aids as follows; visual aids are which use sense of vision is called Visual aids. For example :- models, actual objects,  charts, pictures,  maps, flannel board, flash cards, bulletin board, chalkboard, slides, overhead projector etc. Out of these black board and chalk are the commonest ones. The challenges of classroom instruction increases when prescribed a course to the class while course books (textbooks) are constituted with too many interactive expertise activities. Most significantly, it has converted a common phenomenon to integrate textbooks with audio visual aids as additional or supplementary resource for classroom course learning activities. Visual aids are important in education system. Visual aids are those devices which are used in classrooms to encourage students learning process and make it easier and interesting. Visual aids are the best tool for making teaching effective and the best dissemination of knowledge.


REFERENCES

Wenden, A and Rubin. J. 1998. Leaner Strategies in English Learning. New York: Prentice Hall International.
Wright, Andrew. 1997. Picture for language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, Tony. 1987. Roles of Teacher and Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ytreberg, Lisbet
H. Wendy A. Scott. 1998. Teaching English to Children. Addison Wesley Longman Limited.
Nunan, David. 1991. Language Teaching Methodology. London: Prentice Hall International.
Sudjana, Dr . H. Nana. 1996. Cara Belajar Siswa Aktif Dalam Proses Belajar Mengajar. Bandung : Sinar Baru Algesindo.
Adeyanju, J. L, (1987) Creativity Learning and Learning Styles. Isola Ola & Sons: Zaria.

Looking ahead (presentation task group 13)

Looking ahead

Looking ahead
merging of vidio format

A major trend in media and technology is the merging of media formats. in the 1950s, the common media were separate entities sometimes used in combination and cold multimedia. Such as book with phonograph record and kits with real objects, photographs, and explanatory manual. Figure 13.1 represents the common media of the 1950s.
In the 1980s, the computer began to combine some of these distinct media, as shown in figure 13.2. The combination of the computer and video led to interactive video. Audio media began to evolve  from audiocassettes to audio CDs. Virtual reality began to emerge. The digitization of print, images, and sound mad many of these combinations possible.

Continued use of traditional audiovisual media

Although they do not attract the attention that newer computer based media do, traditional audiovisual media are still used far more often than computer based media, in both the school and corporate realm. However in countries with nearly universal access to traditional audiovisual media, teacher’s use runs far behind availability and complete integration of traditional audiovisual media into lessons is rarer still. In fact, both  computer based and traditional audiovisual media are used less than print-based media.

Evolution of computer-based media

In school that use computers, Becker (1999) has noted an evolutionary pattern for their use. At first, computers were housed in computer labs, were employed within a narrow range of the curriculum-typically in “computer literacy’’ or mathematics and teachers had a low level of involvement in decision making and a low sense of ownership. This evolution toward wider use is probably the most notable trend in the realm of computer-based instruction and accessing the internet [figure 13.4.]

Pervasiveness of telecommunications-based media

About 75% of U.S. schools have cable TV service and about one-half of the teachers use some cable TV programming, the most popular being cable in the classroom, a noncommercial service aimed at in schools audiences (Ely, 1996). School systems seek whole courses only in cases where a local school cannot afford to maintain a teacher in a given subject and that subject is vital to the mission of the school.

Combining telecommunications technologies

Telecommunications offers the potential for both students and teachers to break down the walls of the classroom and share ideas and information with colleagues collaboratively. In the business world. Telecommunications has had  the same effect-leading to a more national and international business community.
Technology is becoming more useful, more prevalent, more intelligent, and more powerful, while at the same time becoming less intimidating, less noticeable, less demanding, and less expensive. User interfaces are becoming simpler and devices are becoming increasingly user friendly.

Application of advanced interactive technologies

Advanced interactive technologies include multimedia, hypermedia, and virtual reality. Multimedia CD-ROM products are commonly found in school media centers, primarily in the form of encyclopedias or other reference database. There is still relatively little application of multimedia and hypermedia to core instruction in schools. Interactive multimedia formats are beginning to gain a foothold in corporate training, primarily to deliver basic courses across multiple sites.

Increased use of technology for inclusion

‘’Students and their parents to press for access to technology that can expand opportunities for expression, communication, academic success, social participation and inclusion, and preparation for an independent life’’ (male, 1997, p viii) . By incorporating technology into the classroom, teachers will be better able to meet the special needs of all learners-those with learning or physical disabilities, as well as gifted students and students whose native language is not English.

Schools of the future

Technology and education

Because our society in general is receptive to new technology, we tend to assume that our subcultures are also receptive. This simply is not always true. Education is the classic example of subculture that has a spotty record at best in using technological developments to change instruction. As described earlier, the organization of instruction today is basically the same as it was 100 years ago.
New technology carries no imperative. What matters is how potential users perceive it. If a new development is useful, easy to master, and nonthreatening, the likelihood of acceptance is very good. The problem is that people within the same organization vary in their perceptions of new technology according to how it will affect what they do. For example, teachers accepted, and usually welcomed, the introduction of the overhead projector because they viewed it as a more versatile chalk-board, easily fit into their established practice, and reinforcing their status in the classroom. But if a principal joins a satellite network because she wants her school to benefit from the coursework offered, her staff may perceive the technologically delivered courses as an affront or a challenge to their professional status.

Structure of the classroom

The typical setup of the classroom, at virtually level almost every when: in the western world, has the fundamental weakness of being organized around a single adult who attempts to orchestrate diverse activities for a generally large group of learners (figure 13.6). This one person typically is expected to be responsible for selecting and organizing the content of lessons, designing materials, producing materials, diagnosing individual needs,  developing tests, delivering instruction orally to the group or through other media individually or in different groupings; administering, scoring, and interpreting tests,  prescribing remedial activities, coordinating the numberless logistical details that hold the whole enterprise together. Others sectors of society have long since recognized that improvements in effectiveness and productivity require division of labor, but this concept has not yet been accepted in formal education.

Changing role of the teacher

The teacher’s role in learning is changing as new technologies appear in the classroom. Teachers are not being replaced by technology, but their role has changed from information presenter to learning resources coordinator. In addition, they serve as facilitator, manager, counselor, and motivator. Their new role frees them to work more independently with individuals and small groups while leaving the formal presentations to another medium. Teacher’s help students find and process information from many sources. In the future, teachers will become more and more ‘’the guide on the side “rather than “the sage on the stage”

Intelligent agents to assist learning

In the classrooms of the future, tools such as intelligent agents will facilitate the learning process. An intelligent agent is a computer program that appears to have the characteristics of an animated being (Baylor, 1999). An example of a simple intelligent agent is the “Clippit” assistant in Microsoft office that monitors the user’s actions and makes suggestions.

Impact of new technologies on school media centers

Materials for lifelong learning will continue to be available through libraries and information centers. Students, however, will access and explore these materials using new technologies. In many cases, cable television connections will allow learners of all ages to study these materials from their homes.
As a result, school media specialist will need to think not only in terms of shelving and circulation but also in terms of downloading and uploading-electronically receiving, storing, indexing, and distributing information to teachers, students, classrooms, and homes. Interactive technologies will create a new generation of teachers and learners who will become not only viewers of such materials, but their users and creators.

Increasing communication between schools and homes

Telecommunications technology will provide an opportunity for a closer relationship between the school and the home. Through telephone technology (answering machines and call in recordings) parents and teachers are able to communicate in virtual time. Parents can call the teacher’s answering machine at any time and leave a massage for their Child’s teacher.  Parents can also call for a recording of the daily assignments for their children’s classes; teachers can also call parents and leave information on home answering machines with specific information about their child. This technology will allow students to check their assignments and to communicate with peers and teachers, too.


The homes as center for technology-based learning

The-ever increasing number of computers in homes, especially computers with internet connections, has provided a major means for schooling to shift to the home. Children with access to computers at home spend hours each day on learning activities ranging from e-mailing study partners to conducting web-based research. The larger part of this is assigned homework from school, but a growing part is “information exploring” performed on students’ own initiative. Indeed, technology -based at home study offers an affordable and feasible alternative to public schools.

Closing the technology gap

Traditionally, schools have been the avenue to opportunity. They have tried to even out the disparities in educational opportunities between lower and upper-income families. Today, this means making sure that all students have equal access to information-handling experiences and technology. We know that many children from upper-income families have access to computers at home.
The school must make sure- that child from low-income families also has access to computer facilities. If they don’t, the gap between the technologically literate and the technologically illiterate will continue to widen.

Workplace of the future
Increasing importance of technology

Currently, more than half of all new jobs being created require some form of information and technological literacy, and that percentage is increasing. Technology’s new tools will be empowering, productive, and motivational. Workers will need to have an expanded set of technical skills in communication, problem solving, and production. Both future productivity and economic growth are linked to workers’ effective uses of new technologies. Tomorrow’s workers’ who want to stay employed or be re-employed will need the ability and opportunity to learn new skills.

Changing workforce

The nature of the North American workforce is changing dramatically. For one thing, it is getting older. As a consequence, the educational system must be able to provide lifelong learning. In addition. The make-up of the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, requiring education and training in a variety of languages and at various ability levels. Also, because society is becoming more mobile, job retraining will be even more necessary. Inequalities of class, gender, ethnicity, and economic status correlate highly with denied or restricted access to the tools of technology.


Changing nature of work

About three fourths of U S. workers today hold jobs that primarily entail handling information. Knowledge work involves not only crunching and shuffling data, but also learning elaborate system that combine human teams and intelligent machines. With the number of hands-on production jobs decreasing, schools must increasingly teach people to use their minds as tools.

Changing nature of training

Just as technology has revolutionized learning in the schools, it has also affected training in the business environment. Training that seeks to improve human performance and increase productivity is increasingly being provided when the worker needs it-often at the workstation. Not in a classroom. This type of training is called just-in-time training, as opposed to cold storage training. The former is provided when you need it and can use it; the letter teaches skills and information you may use in the future.

Assessment of training

Driven by competitive pressures, some businesses have adopted Total Quality Management (TQM) and other re-engineering programs that require more accurate measurement of the business impact of all expenditures. This has pushed more corporate training programs to consider assessing outcomes beyond mere learner satisfaction. Kirkpatrick  (1994) proposed four levels of evaluation:
Learner satisfaction.
Skill demonstration.
Transfer to the job.
Impact on business goals.
Surveys of corporate trainers over the past few years show a marked increase in companies claiming to be evaluating at levels 3 and 4. In 1996, 65 percent claimed to be applying level 3 evaluation to at least some of their courses, and nearly half claimed to be doing level 4 evaluations (industry report, 1997).


Welcome to the 21st century

The twenty-first century is an exciting and interesting time to be working in the fields of education and training. Current trends may or may not be sustained, and we, as educators and citizens of the world, have many challenges to address. We not here some ongoing challenges related to media and technology for educators and trainers.


Teaching and learning with traditional media and new technology

Many teachers want to forget or ignore traditional media and just focus on the “new media and technologies for learning.” However, in the future there must be balance. Traditional media will be with use well into the twenty-first century, and accomplish some tasks as well as or better than the new media. Like a carpenter, we need to know how to use all tools, both old and new, and more importantly, we must be able to select the most tools for our particular task. Teacher and students need to learn how to select from all available media those materials that will best promote learning. For example, most classrooms will continue to have chalkboards, so teachers must learn to use them to their maximum effectiveness. The overhead projector continues to be an effective tool for gaining and maintaining student attention. Don’t brush off or bypass traditional media in favor of computers and digital technology.

Continuing development of hardware and software

E-books and e-paper
Two new developments, e-books and e-paper, are largely responsible for this impending paradigm shift. E-books, a conceptual blend of the traditional book and the compute, are handheld devices roughly the size of a hardbound book, they typically contain enough memory for 75 to 80 novel-length works. The backlit screen approximates a standard book page. Readers navigate by using buttons to “turn pages.”

Software developments
Software is developing just as rapidly. The digitization of information represents a new paradigm for software development. New software will make selecting and assembling information from a variety of sources infinitely easier and faster for teachers and students. The greater boon may be for students, who will be able to access and process information much more meaningfully because the systems will lend themselves to individualized learning strategies.

Descriptive text

Mengenang sekaligus mengingat kembali pelajaran yang tidak akan pernah sirna dari Bahasa Inggris, yaitu DESCRIPTIVE TEXT, (menurut saya ini pelajaran paling menarik untuk dipelajari lebih jauh).

Descriptive text atau dalam istilah writing hanya dikenal dengan "description" adalah salah satu pelajaran bahasa Inggris yang harus dikuasai tidak hanya oleh anak SMP, tapi juga oleh anak SMA, Mahasiswa dan siapapun yang mencintai bahasa Inggris. Karena bagaimanapun, materi descriptive writing sangat perlu untuk perkembangan kemampuan bahasa Inggris kita.

Pengertian Descriptive Text

Dalam artian luas, Description, seperti dijelaskan oleh Kane (2000: 352), diartikan seperti pada kalimat di bawah ini :

Description is about sensory experience—how something looks, sounds, tastes. Mostly it is about visual experience, but description also deals with other kinds of perception.

 Jadi, jika disimpulkan dari penjelasan Kane di atas, tulisan deskriptif bermakna teks yang menjelaskan tentang pengalaman yang berhubungan dengan pancaindera, seperti apa bentuknya, suaranya, rasanya. Kebanyakan teks deskriptif memang tentang pengalaman visual, tapi nyatanya pengalaman selain dari indera penglihatanpun bisa digunakan dalam descriptive text.

Namun secara khusus, descriptive text adalah, "...... is a text which says what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to describe and reveal a particular person, place, or thing." [teks yang menjelaskan gambaran seseorang atau benda. Tujuannya adalah mengambarkan atau mengungkapkan orang, tempat atau benda tertentu]

Jadi, bisa dikatakan bahwa descriptive text ini adalah teks yang menjelaskan tentang seperti apakah orang atau suatu benda dideskripsikan, baik bentuknya, sifat-sifatnya, jumlahnya dan lain-lain. Tujuan (purpose) dari descriptive text pun jelas, yaitu untuk menjelaskan, MENGGAMBARKAN atau mengungkapkan seseorang atau suatu benda, baik abstrak maupun konkret.

Generic Structure Descriptive Text

Ketika menulis descriptive text, ada beberapa susunan umum / generic structure (sebenarnya tidak wajib) agar tulisan kita dianggap benar. Susunan tersebut adalah :

1. Identification : berisi tentang identifikasi sesuatu, baik makhluk hidup ataupun benda mati yang akan dideskripsikan.
2. Description : berisi tentang penjelasan / penggambaran tentang sesuatu, baik makhluk hidup ataupun benda mati, dengan menyebutkan beberapa gambaran, sifat, karakter, atau apapun yang berhubungan dengan deskripsi sesuatu yang dimaksud.

Contoh Descriptive Text Pendek - My Family

My family has four members: those are I, my sister, and parents of course.

My mother is 47 years old. Her name's Anisa. She's thin-faced and she's got long, blond hair and beautiful green eyes. She is still slim because she always tries to stay in shape. She is very good-looking, always well-dressed and elegant.

My father, Lukman, is 5 years older than my mother. He is 52. In spite of his age he's still black-haired, with several grey hairs. He has bright blue eyes. He is quite tall, but a bit shorter than me. He's very hard-working. Besides that he is working in a travel company. He can even make a dinner when my mother is outside. His cooking and his meals are always very tasty as well as my mothers'.

Finally, my sister Nadina. She is 22. She is also red-haired and green-eyed. She has long wavy hair and freckles. She is definitely shorter than me. She is rather introverted. But she is very sensible, smart and co-operative. Right now she is studying English and also knows Arabic and Mandarin. I want to be so smart as she is.

They all, except me, speak Sundanese very well, because we were living in Bandung for 5 years. My sister have been going to primary school there. Unfortunately I was only 3 when we were leaving to Jakarta, so I can't speak Sundanese. Now we are happily living in Jakarta.

Learn passive voice

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive 

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Simple Present	Active:	Rita	writes	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is written	by Rita.
Simple Past	Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was written	by Rita.
Present Perfect	Active:	Rita	has written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	has been written	by Rita.
Future I	Active:	Rita	will write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will be written	by Rita.
Hilfsverben	Active:	Rita	can write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	can be written	by Rita.

Examples of Passive 

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Present Progressive	Active:	Rita	is writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is being written	by Rita.
Past Progressive	Active:	Rita	was writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was being written	by Rita.
Past Perfect	Active:	Rita	had written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	had been written	by Rita.
Future II	Active:	Rita	will have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will have been written	by Rita.
Conditional I	Active:	Rita	would write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would be written	by Rita.
Conditional II	Active:	Rita	would have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would have been written	by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects 

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

	Subject	Verb	Object 1	Object 2
Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter	to me.
Passive:	A letter	was written	to me	by Rita.
Passive:	I	was written	a letter	by Rita.

.

As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passiveis only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.