Lesson
B2ENHow Things Are Made: Passive Voice in Action
Explore how everyday products are made — from chocolate to smartphones. Master passive voice across tenses through real manufacturing processes, spot errors in production reports, and describe your own process. A practical B2 English lesson on passive voice, manufacturing vocabulary, and process description. Ideal for adult learners, English tutors, and language schools.
You Won't Believe How It's Made: Predict & Verify
Predict & Verify
Prediction questions
- Which fact surprised you the most? Why?
- Do you ever think about how the products you buy are made?
- Should companies be required to show exactly how and where their products are made?
The Surprising Truth About Everyday Products
Most people never think about how the things they use every day are actually made. A single smartphone contains over 60 different chemical elements — more than a third of the entire periodic table. Many of these materials are mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often under dangerous conditions. Your cotton T-shirt has probably travelled to at least four different countries before reaching the shop — cotton is grown in one country, spun into thread in another, dyed in a third, and sewn together in a fourth. A jar of Nutella uses roughly 25% of the world's hazelnut supply — so many hazelnuts are needed that the company has reshaped the entire global hazelnut market. Banknotes are not made from paper at all. Most modern banknotes are printed on thin sheets of polymer plastic, which last up to five times longer and are almost impossible to tear. And the average car is assembled from around 30,000 individual parts, delivered by hundreds of different suppliers, often from different continents, and put together in a precise sequence that takes less than 24 hours on a modern production line.
Manufacturing & Production Vocabulary: Swipe Battle
Swipe Battle
Assembly line
A system where a product is put together step by step as it moves through a factory
Raw materials
The finished products that are sold directly to customers in shops
Supply chain
The entire network of companies involved in making and delivering a product
Quality control
The process of checking products to make sure they meet standards
Mass production
Making large quantities of the same product using machines and standardised processes
Outsource
To hire another company, often in a different country, to do part of your work
Handcrafted
Made by hand using traditional methods, not by machines
Warehouse
A large building where raw materials are grown before being harvested
Prototype
The first version of a product, built to test the design before mass production
Sustainable
Produced in a way that does not harm the environment or waste resources
Defect
A fault or problem in a product that makes it not work properly
Recall
When a company asks customers to return a product because of a safety problem
From Bean to Bar and Beyond: Jigsaw Reading
Jigsaw Reading
How Chocolate Is Made
Chocolate starts as cacao pods, which are harvested by hand in tropical countries like Ghana and Ivory Coast. The beans are removed from the pods and left to ferment for several days. After that, they are dried in the sun, packed into sacks, and shipped to factories. At the factory, the beans are roasted at around 130°C, then cracked and ground into a thick paste called cocoa liquor. Sugar and cocoa butter are added, and the mixture is heated and stirred for up to 72 hours in a process called conching. Finally, the chocolate is poured into moulds and cooled until it hardens.
How Jeans Are Made
Denim fabric is woven from cotton thread that has been dyed with indigo. The fabric is cut into pieces using patterns, and the pieces are sewn together — usually by workers in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, or Turkey. Metal rivets are added at stress points to make the jeans stronger. The jeans are then washed, sometimes with stones or chemicals, to give them a worn look. After washing, they are dried, pressed, and inspected for defects. Labels and tags are attached, and the jeans are folded, packed, and shipped to shops around the world.
How Banknotes Are Printed
Modern banknotes are printed on thin polymer sheets, not paper. The sheets are produced in high-security factories where every step is monitored by cameras. First, multiple layers of ink are applied using special printing techniques that create textures you can feel with your fingers. Watermarks and holograms are embedded into the material to prevent counterfeiting. Each note is given a unique serial number. The printed sheets are then cut into individual notes, checked by machines for errors, and bundled into stacks. Damaged or imperfect notes are shredded immediately and never leave the factory.
How a Smartphone Is Assembled
A smartphone is assembled from components made in dozens of different countries. The processor is designed in the US or UK but manufactured in Taiwan or South Korea. The screen glass is produced in Japan or Germany. Rare earth metals used in the battery are mined in China or Congo. All these parts are shipped to a single assembly factory, usually in China or Vietnam, where workers and robots put them together in a specific order. Each phone is tested for screen quality, signal strength, and battery life. The entire assembly takes less than one hour, but the supply chain behind it spans the whole planet.
Comprehension questions
- Which production process did you find most interesting or surprising?
- What do all four processes have in common?
- Which product do you think is the most difficult to make? Why?
Lesson Board: Passive Voice Across Tenses
Lesson Board
From Factory to Shop — Passive in Context: Fill the Gap
Fill the Gap
- Coffee beans are grown (grow) in tropical regions and exported (export) to Europe.
- The first iPhone was released (release) in 2007 and sold (sell) out within hours.
- Over 10 million cars have been recalled (recall) this year because of safety defects.
- The new factory will be opened (open) next spring in southern Germany.
- Faulty products can be returned (can return) within 30 days of purchase.
- This fabric is woven (weave) by hand using traditional techniques.
- The building was designed (design) by a famous architect but built (build) by local workers.
- All components have been tested (test) before final assembly begins.
- The packaging must be recycled (must recycle) according to new EU regulations.
- These trainers are made (make) from recycled ocean plastic.
Spot the Error — Production Reports: Correct the Mistake
Correct the Mistake
The new model was introduce to the market last September.
The new model was introduced to the market last September.
All products are check by hand before they leave the factory.
All products are checked by hand before they leave the factory.
The windows was installed by a team of specialists.
The windows were installed by a team of specialists.
This material has being used in construction for over 50 years.
This material has been used in construction for over 50 years.
The order will shipped to your address within three days.
The order will be shipped to your address within three days.
More than 500 cars have been produce at this factory today.
More than 500 cars have been produced at this factory today.
The report was wrote by the quality control manager.
The report was written by the quality control manager.
New safety rules can be implement immediately.
New safety rules can be implemented immediately.
How Would You Describe It?: Elevator Pitch
Elevator Pitch
Useful phrases
- First, the raw materials are...
- Then it is processed by...
- After that, the product is...
- Finally, it is delivered to...
- The entire process takes approximately...
Describe how pizza is made from start to finish
You are explaining the process to someone who has never seen a kitchen. Use at least 5 passive constructions.
Explain how a house is built
You are a project manager presenting to a client who knows nothing about construction.
Describe how a Hollywood film is made
You are a film producer explaining the process to a group of students.
Explain how coffee goes from a farm to your cup
You are presenting at a food industry conference. Make the process sound impressive.
Made by Machines or Made by Hand?: Debate Roulette
Debate Roulette
Useful phrases
- I strongly believe that...
- On the other hand...
- That's a fair point, but...
- From an economic perspective...
- The reality is that...
- It depends on...
- Mass-produced products are always lower quality than handcrafted ones.
- Companies that outsource production to cheaper countries are behaving unethically.
- Consumers do not really care how products are made as long as the price is low.
- Every product should have a label showing exactly where and how it was made.
- Automation will eventually eliminate all factory jobs.
- It is better to buy fewer expensive things than many cheap ones.
- Traditional craftsmanship will disappear within the next 50 years.
- Sustainable production is a luxury that only rich countries can afford.