Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 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 · 5 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? We have finished our project. (our / have / finished / project) → havePrompt: Find the main action word first.
  2. Which word is the MAIN verb? Our class could hear the drums. (could / hear / class / drums) → hearPrompt: Which word names the action or state?
  3. Choose the helping verb that fits the meaning. ___ you help me carry this box, please? (Have / Did / Must / Could) → CouldPrompt: Read the sentence after the gap for clues.

Hook · 5 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 · 10 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 · 10 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? 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?
  2. This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The window was broken by a football. (the window / the house / a football / nobody) → a footballPrompt: The doer is not at the start of a passive sentence.

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The cake was eaten by the hungry twins. (the cake / the party / the plate / the hungry twins) → the hungry twinsPrompt: The doer is not at the start of a passive sentence.
  2. Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The storm damaged the roof. (The roof is damaging the storm. / The storm was damaged by the roof. / The roof was damaged by the storm. / The roof damaged the storm.) → The roof was damaged by the storm.Prompt: Move the thing the action happens to to the front.

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

eurekami

Active or passive? Who did the action?

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The new bridge was opened by the mayor.

    • A. the cars
    • B. the river
    • C. the mayor
    • D. the new bridge

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The cat knocked over the vase.

    • A. The vase is knocking over the cat.
    • B. The cat was knocked over by the vase.
    • C. The vase was knocked over by the cat.
    • D. The vase knocked over the cat.

  3. Question 3

    Is this sentence active or passive? The robot sorted the parcels.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  4. Question 4

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The parcel was delivered by a drone.

    • A. the door
    • B. the parcel
    • C. a drone
    • D. the shop

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The storm damaged the roof.

    • A. The roof is damaging the storm.
    • B. The roof damaged the storm.
    • C. The roof was damaged by the storm.
    • D. The storm was damaged by the roof.

  6. Question 6

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

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  7. Question 7

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? Our class planted a tree.

    • A. A tree is planting our class.
    • B. A tree was planted by our class.
    • C. Our class was planted by a tree.
    • D. A tree planted our class.

  8. Question 8

    Is this sentence active or passive? The ball was chased by the dog.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

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

  1. 1. C. the mayor

  2. 2. C. The vase was knocked over by the cat.

  3. 3. A. active

  4. 4. C. a drone

  5. 5. C. The roof was damaged by the storm.

  6. 6. A. active

  7. 7. B. A tree was planted by our class.

  8. 8. B. passive