• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Active and passive voice). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The storm destroyed the old barn. • The old barn was destroyed by the storm. • The old barn destroyed the storm. • The old barn is destroying by the storm. • The storm was destroyed by the old barn. (The old barn was destroyed by the storm. / The old barn destroyed the storm. / The old barn is destroying by the storm. / The storm was destroyed by the old barn.) → 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 prize was won by a girl from Leeds. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?
3. 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.

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Rewriting passive sentences in the active 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 correct active version, keeping the same tense? The match was won by our team. • The match won our team. • Our team wins the match by it. • Our team was won by the match. • Our team won the match.
• Step 1: To make a sentence active, move the 'by' phrase to the front as the subject and change be + past participle to the matching active form.
• Step 2: So the answer is: Our team won the match.
• Answer: Our team won the match.
• 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 correct active version, keeping the same tense? The road is being repaired by the council. • The council is being repaired by the road. • The council repaired the road. • The road is repairing the council. • The council is repairing the road. (The council is being repaired by the road. / The council repaired the road. / The road is repairing the council. / The council is repairing the road.) → The council is repairing the road.Prompt: Who did the action? That person or thing becomes the subject.
2. This sentence is passive. Who or what actually does the action? Type it (or type 'nobody' if the doer isn't named). The results will be checked by two teachers. → two teachersPrompt: Look for the 'by…' phrase.

• 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. Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The song was written by two students. • Two students write the song. • The song wrote two students. • Two students wrote the song. • Two students were written by the song. (Two students write the song. / The song wrote two students. / Two students wrote the song. / Two students were written by the song.) → Two students wrote the song.Prompt: Who did the action? That person or thing becomes the subject.
2. This sentence is passive. Who or what actually does the action? Type it (or type 'nobody' if the doer isn't named). The prize was presented by a famous author. → a famous authorPrompt: Look for the 'by…' phrase.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-8.