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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 45 minutes

Active and passive voice

Grammar

CCSS L.8.1.BCCSS L.8.3.AEngland: Y6 GPS (passive voice)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Active and passive voice.

  • 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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future)

Leads to: Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood; Academic style: hedging, nominalisation and objectivity; Rewriting passive sentences in the active voice

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 (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. Scientists ___ (discover) a new kind of frog. (will have discovered / have discovered / discovering / had discovered) → have discoveredPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
  2. Choose the correct perfect tense. By next June, she ___ (finish) school. (had finished / will have finished / finishes / has finished) → will have finishedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
  3. Choose the correct perfect tense. I ___ (live) here for six years. (am living / have lived / had lived / will have lived) → have livedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?

Hook · 5 min

  • 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.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • 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.

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. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The chef cooks the meals. • The meals cook the chef. • The chef is cooked by the meals. • The meals are cooked by the chef. • The meals were cooking by the chef. (The meals cook the chef. / The chef is cooked by the meals. / The meals are cooked by the chef. / The meals were cooking by the chef.) → The meals are cooked by the chef.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
  2. Is this sentence active or passive? Our class planted a vegetable garden. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?

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. Is this sentence active or passive? The mayor opened the new bridge. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?
  2. Choose the best answer. Which sentence hides who made the mistake? (A mistake was made in the accounts. / The accounts were wrong because of Leo. / Leo's accounts had his mistake. / Leo made a mistake in the accounts.) → A mistake was made in the accounts.Prompt: The passive voice lets a writer leave out the doer or put the focus on what was affected.

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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future).
  • 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

  • Move on to: Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood; Academic style: hedging, nominalisation and objectivity; Rewriting passive sentences in the active voice.
  • 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-6.

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

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Active and passive voice

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Choose the best answer. Which sentence puts the focus on the painting rather than on the painter?

    • A. In 1890 the artist completed it.
    • B. The painting was completed in 1890.
    • C. The artist, in 1890, completed the painting.
    • D. The artist completed the painting in 1890.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The dog chased the cat. • The cat chased the dog. • The dog was chased by the cat. • The cat is chasing by the dog. • The cat was chased by the dog.

    • A. The cat chased the dog.
    • B. The dog was chased by the cat.
    • C. The cat is chasing by the dog.
    • D. The cat was chased by the dog.

  3. Question 3

    Is this sentence active or passive? The prize was won by a girl from Leeds.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  4. Question 4

    Choose the best answer. In a science report about an experiment, which sentence is most appropriately formal?

    • A. I reckon we heated it for five minutes.
    • B. We heated the stuff for like five minutes.
    • C. The mixture was heated for five minutes.
    • D. Heat it for five minutes!

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The judges announced the winner. • The winner announced the judges. • The winner was announced by the judges. • The winner is announcing by the judges. • The judges were announced by the winner.

    • A. The winner announced the judges.
    • B. The winner was announced by the judges.
    • C. The winner is announcing by the judges.
    • D. The judges were announced by the winner.

  6. Question 6

    Is this sentence active or passive? Volunteers cleaned the beach on Saturday.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  7. Question 7

    Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The children have planted the trees. • The trees have planted the children. • The trees has been planted by the children. • The trees have been planted by the children. • The children have been planted by the trees.

    • A. The trees have planted the children.
    • B. The trees has been planted by the children.
    • C. The trees have been planted by the children.
    • D. The children have been planted by the trees.

  8. Question 8

    Is this sentence active or passive? The letters are delivered every morning.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

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Answer key: Active and passive voice

  1. 1. B. The painting was completed in 1890.

  2. 2. D. The cat was chased by the dog.

  3. 3. B. passive

  4. 4. C. The mixture was heated for five minutes.

  5. 5. B. The winner was announced by the judges.

  6. 6. A. active

  7. 7. C. The trees have been planted by the children.

  8. 8. B. passive