The main grammar focus of this worksheet is Active / Passive Voices of English verbs.
This worksheet can be used as a hand-out for individual or group work to increase Intermediate students’ awareness of the Passive Voice and broaden international students’ knowledge about Russian traditions enhancing their reading comprehension skills.
The grammar is contextualized in a text about Russian spring festival of Maslenitsa which makes it perfect for Russian-speaking students of English. The text will allow international students trace certain parallels between Russian and English folk culture.
Photocopy the worksheet so that there are enough for each student in your class.
1. Ask students to put the verbs in brackets in either Passive or Active form using Present Simple or Past Simple. Encourage students’ discussion in pairs. Students may use dictionaries to complete the assignment. 2. Ask them to read the text round. Students are supposed to check their answers while the text is being read.
3. An optional follow-up activity may include titling the paragraphs. To do so, you will need to remove paragraph headings from the text first.
4. You may further increase students’ intercultural competence by leading a class discussion to compare Guy Fawkes Night traditions with Lady Maslenitsa (Kostroma) celebrations, in particular, effigy burning and food fest parallels.
