• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Perfect tenses (past, present, future)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Choose the correct perfect tense. When I got to the station, the train ___ (leave). (leaves / had left / will have left / has left) → had leftPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
2. Choose the correct perfect tense. Scientists ___ (discover) a new kind of frog. (discovering / will have discovered / had discovered / have discovered) → have discoveredPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
3. Choose the correct perfect tense. Mia was tired because she ___ (run) all the way. (has run / had run / will have run / runs) → had runPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?

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

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The children have planted the trees. • The trees has been planted by the children. • The trees have planted the children. • The trees have been planted by the children. • The children have been planted by the trees.
• Step 1: Move the object to the front, use be + past participle in the same tense, and put the doer after 'by' (or leave it out).
• Step 2: So the answer is: The trees have been planted by the children.
• Answer: The trees have been planted by the children.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The storm destroyed the old barn. • The storm was destroyed by the old barn. • The old barn destroyed the storm. • The old barn is destroying by the storm. • The old barn was destroyed by the storm. (The storm was destroyed by the old barn. / The old barn destroyed the storm. / The old barn is destroying by the storm. / The old barn was destroyed by the storm.) → The old barn was destroyed by the storm.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
2. Is this sentence active or passive? The letters are delivered every morning. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?

• 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Choose the best answer. A newspaper does not know who damaged a statue. Which sentence fits? (The statue was damaged overnight. / Somebody damaged it, who knows. / The statue damaged overnight. / They damaged the statue overnight, probably.) → The statue was damaged overnight.Prompt: The passive voice lets a writer leave out the doer or put the focus on what was affected.
2. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? A bee stung my brother. • My brother was stinged by a bee. • My brother stung a bee. • A bee was stung by my brother. • My brother was stung by a bee. (My brother was stinged by a bee. / My brother stung a bee. / A bee was stung by my brother. / My brother was stung by a bee.) → My brother was stung by a bee.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-6.