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English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes

Active or passive? Who did the action?

Grammar

CCSS L.8.1.BCCSS L.5.3England: Y6 GPS (passive voice)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Active or passive? Who did the action?.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must)

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is the HELPING verb? She does not like olives. (not / does / olives / like) → doesPrompt: Find the main action word first.
  2. Which word is the MAIN verb? They were dancing in the rain. (dancing / they / rain / were) → dancingPrompt: Which word names the action or state?
  3. Choose the helping verb that fits the meaning. ___ you help me carry this box, please? (Did / Could / Have / Must) → CouldPrompt: Read the sentence after the gap for clues.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Active or passive? Who did the action?. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Is this sentence active or passive? A new species of frog was discovered.
  • Step 1: Active: the doer comes first (The dog chased the ball). Passive: the thing the action happens to comes first (The ball was chased by the dog).
  • Step 2: So the answer is: passive
  • Answer: passive
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Is this sentence active or passive? A tree was planted by our class. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what does the action? Is it at the start of the sentence?
  2. This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The picture was painted by my grandmother. (the frame / the picture / my grandmother / the gallery) → my grandmotherPrompt: The doer is not at the start of a passive sentence.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The cat knocked over the vase. (The vase knocked over the cat. / The vase is knocking over the cat. / The cat was knocked over by the vase. / The vase was knocked over by the cat.) → The vase was knocked over by the cat.Prompt: Move the thing the action happens to to the front.
  2. Is this sentence active or passive? The leaves were blown away by the wind. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what does the action? Is it at the start of the sentence?

Watch out for

  • Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
  • Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must).
  • Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-5.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Active or passive? Who did the action?

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Is this sentence active or passive? Lightning struck the old oak.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  2. Question 2

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The match was won by the visiting team.

    • A. the match
    • B. the visiting team
    • C. the referee
    • D. the home team

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The bees made the honey.

    • A. The honey was made by the bees.
    • B. The honey made the bees.
    • C. The honey is making the bees.
    • D. The bees were made by the honey.

  4. Question 4

    Is this sentence active or passive? Our class planted a tree.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  5. Question 5

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The lost kitten was found by a firefighter.

    • A. a firefighter
    • B. the tree
    • C. the lost kitten
    • D. the owner

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? Engineers built the robot.

    • A. The robot was built by engineers.
    • B. The robot built engineers.
    • C. The robot is building engineers.
    • D. Engineers were built by the robot.

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Answer key: Active or passive? Who did the action?

  1. 1. A. active

  2. 2. B. the visiting team

  3. 3. A. The honey was made by the bees.

  4. 4. A. active

  5. 5. A. a firefighter

  6. 6. A. The robot was built by engineers.