The Grammar of Authority
Grammar: Passive Voice
A Level 5 English lesson exploring science.
What's in this lesson
A Level 5 (advanced) ESL lesson on science, practising passive voice. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Grammar of Authority
A 2022 study published in PLOS ONE found that the average sentence in a peer-reviewed biology paper contains 23 words — compared to 14 in a newspaper article on the same subject. That gap is not accidental. It reflects a deliberate stylistic choice, one that shapes how scientific knowledge is constructed, communicated, and received. The identification of this pattern has prompted a growing debate among researchers, editors, and science communicators about what academic prose is actually for.
Vocabulary
- dense nominalisation
- establish precision
- peer-reviewed finding
- plain language
Grammar: Passive Voice
- Nominalisation — form
- We investigated the cause. → The investigation into the cause... — verb becomes noun phrase
- Adjective → noun
- The drug failed → the failure of the drug was noted. — agent removed, density added
Discussion questions
- Is formal academic writing a mark of intelligence or a barrier to understanding?
- Should scientists be required to publish in plain language?
- Do you trust a source more when it uses complex language?
The Grammar of Authority
Grammar: Passive Voice
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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