English lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 60 minutes
Rewriting passive sentences in the active voice
Grammar
CCSS L.8.1.BCCSS L.8.3.AEngland: KS3 English (grammar)England: GCSE English Language (AO6)England: ACT English (style)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Rewriting passive sentences in the active 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: Active and passive voice
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 · 6 min
- 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.
- Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The storm destroyed the old barn. • 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 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.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
- Is this sentence active or passive? Heavy rain flooded the main road. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?
- Choose the best answer. A newspaper does not know who damaged a statue. Which sentence fits? (They damaged the statue overnight, probably. / Somebody damaged it, who knows. / The statue damaged overnight. / The statue was damaged overnight.) → The statue was damaged overnight.Prompt: The passive voice lets a writer leave out the doer or put the focus on what was affected.
Hook · 6 min
- 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.
I do: model it · 12 min
- 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.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The road is being repaired by the council. • The council repaired the road. • The road is repairing the council. • The council is being repaired by the road. • The council is repairing the road. (The council repaired the road. / The road is repairing the council. / The council is being repaired by the road. / The council is repairing the road.) → The council is repairing the road.Prompt: Who did the action? That person or thing becomes the subject.
- This sentence is passive. Who or what actually does the action? Type it (or type 'nobody' if the doer isn't named). The bridge was designed by an engineer from Lagos. → an engineer from LagosPrompt: Look for the 'by…' phrase.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- This sentence is passive. Who or what actually does the action? Type it (or type 'nobody' if the doer isn't named). The village was flooded by the river. → the riverPrompt: Look for the 'by…' phrase.
- Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The windows have been cleaned by the volunteers. • The volunteers cleaned by the windows. • The volunteers have cleaned the windows. • The windows have cleaned the volunteers. • The volunteers will clean the windows. (The volunteers cleaned by the windows. / The volunteers have cleaned the windows. / The windows have cleaned the volunteers. / The volunteers will clean the windows.) → The volunteers have cleaned the windows.Prompt: Who did the action? That person or thing becomes the subject.
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: Active and passive voice.
- 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-8.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder