The Award Was Given to a Local Café
Passive voice in formal contexts — news, announcements, and emails. Café Colibri wins the City Food and Culture Award; Leo announces a celebratory menu.
📖 Reading: Café Colibri Wins City Award
TORONTO FOOD & CULTURE AWARDS
Café Colibri has been named "Best Independent Café in Toronto" by the City Food and Culture Committee.
The award was presented last Thursday at a ceremony held at the City Hall. Leo was accompanied by his staff, including head barista Ana.
"We were completely surprised," said Leo. "The nomination was submitted by a customer — we hadn't even known about it."
The award is given annually to businesses that have made a significant contribution to local culture. This year, twelve cafés were nominated.
"Café Colibri was chosen for its commitment to community," said the committee chair. "Events are regularly organised there for local artists and musicians. The space is used by dozens of local creatives every week."
Leo has announced that a special celebratory menu will be launched next weekend. Limited seats will be available, and bookings must be made in advance.
"This award will be displayed proudly on the wall," said Leo. "And the next round of coffee will be offered on the house."
The café's story will be featured in next month's edition of Toronto Life magazine.
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nomination | The process of formally suggesting someone for an award | n. — The nomination was submitted by a customer. |
| annually | Once every year | adv. — The award is given annually. |
| contribution | Something given or done to help or improve something | n. — A significant contribution to local culture. |
| commitment | Dedication to something; being consistently involved | n. — Chosen for its commitment to community. |
| creatives | People who work in creative industries | n. — Dozens of local creatives use the space. |
| ceremony | A formal public event to mark an occasion | n. — The award was presented at a ceremony. |
| launch | To introduce something new to the public | v. — A special menu will be launched next weekend. |
| feature | To present something as a main attraction or subject | v. — The story will be featured in a magazine. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
has been + past participle | The café has been named best in Toronto. |
was + past participle | The award was presented last Thursday. |
will be + past participle | Bookings must be made. / Seats will be available. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Passive with Modal Verbs | |
must be + pp | Bookings must be made in advance. |
should be + pp | This information should be shared widely. |
can be + pp | Limited seats can be reserved online. |
will be + pp | The menu will be launched next weekend. |
has/have been + pp | The café has been named best in Toronto. |
Passive in Formal Contexts
📚 Passive in Formal Contexts | |
News headlines | Café Named Best in Toronto / Award Presented at Ceremony |
Announcements | Bookings must be made. / Seats will be available. |
Emails | Your application has been received. / You will be contacted. |
Instructions | The form must be completed. / Files should be saved. |
🎭 Dialogue: Did You Hear the News?
Priya tells Omar about the award. They start planning to book the celebratory menu — bookings have to be made in advance.
Have you heard? Café Colibri has been named Best Café in Toronto!
Really?! By whom?
By the City Food and Culture Committee. The award was presented last Thursday.
Was Leo surprised?
Completely! Apparently the nomination was submitted by a customer.
That's wonderful. Will there be a celebration?
Yes! A special menu will be launched next weekend. But bookings must be made in advance.
Then it must be booked immediately. Can you do it? I'll be studying.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Who submitted the nomination for Café Colibri?
Why was Café Colibri chosen for the award?
What must customers do to attend the celebratory menu?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Rewrite as full Passive: 'New café opens in downtown Toronto.'
Rewrite as full Passive: 'City awards local business.'
Rewrite as full Passive: 'Police find missing child.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: You are a journalist. Interview Leo about the award using questions in active voice.
- Student B: You are Leo. Answer using Passive voice to describe what happened: was named, was presented, was chosen, will be launched.
- Then Student A writes a 5-sentence news report using Passive Voice based on the interview.