Business reports: understanding and using the passive voice

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B2 learners explores Business reports: understanding and using the passive voice through a real article. Across 11 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: The passive voice with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for questioning findings in a report
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness
• A reading passage to practise newly learned language

Lesson activities (11 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
5. Grammar — Study The passive voice — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for questioning findings in a report — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
9. Reading — Read a short passage on the topic and answer comprehension questions.
10. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• To drill down into (the data) — to examine something in greater detail or at a deeper level.
• Actionable insights — conclusions from data that can be used to make specific decisions or take action.
• To flag a concern — to mention or draw attention to a potential problem so it can be discussed.
• In light of these findings — a formal phrase meaning 'considering this new information' or 'because of this'.
• A ballpark figure — an idiom for a rough estimate or an approximate number.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on The passive voice.

The passive voice is often used in business reports to create a formal and objective tone. We use it when the action or result is more important than the person or thing performing the action (the 'agent'). This helps keep the focus on the data and findings rather than on the people involved.

Examples from the lesson:

• The quarterly sales figures were reviewed last week. — The focus is on the action (reviewing the figures), not on who reviewed them. This is typical for formal reports.
• It has been decided that the project deadline will be extended. — This is a common way to announce a decision without naming the specific decision-makers, making it sound more official.
• The report was written by the marketing team. (Passive) vs. The marketing team wrote the report. (Active) — Both are correct, but the passive version emphasizes 'the report', while the active version emphasizes 'the marketing team'.

Key rules:

• Form: [form of 'to be'] + [past participle]. For example: is sent, was analyzed, will be discussed.
• Use 'by + agent' only when it is important to know who or what performed the action.
• Avoid overusing the passive voice. In many situations, the active voice is clearer and more direct.

Practical English

Questioning findings in a report

When discussing a report, you might disagree with a conclusion or need more information. These phrases help you question findings politely and professionally, without sounding aggressive or negative.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "'Could you walk me through how you arrived at this conclusion?'" — asks for the process or reasoning behind a finding.
• "'I'm looking at this from a slightly different angle.'" — signals that you have a different perspective or interpretation.
• "'I might be missing something, but have we considered the impact of...?'" — politely points out a potential gap or an overlooked factor.
• "'I'm not sure I follow the logic on page 5. Could we take a closer look at the data for Q3?'" — requests specific clarification on a point you don't understand.
• "'That's an interesting take. An alternative interpretation could be that...'" — acknowledges the original point before offering a different one.