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 · 6 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.

Choose the correct perfect tense. Mia was tired because she ___ (run) all the way. (runs / will have run / has run / had run) → had runPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
Choose the correct perfect tense. By the time we arrived, the film ___ (start). (will have started / has started / starts / had started) → had startedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
Choose the correct perfect tense. By tonight, I ___ (read) the whole book. (will have read / am reading / have read / had read) → will have readPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 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 passive version of this sentence? The council will build a new library. • The council will be built by a new library. • A new library is built by the council. • A new library will build the council. • A new library will be built by the council. (The council will be built by a new library. / A new library is built by the council. / A new library will build the council. / A new library will be built by the council.) → A new library will be built by the council.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
Is this sentence active or passive? Mistakes were made. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?

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.

Is this sentence active or passive? The match will be shown live on TV. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?
Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? A bee stung my brother. • A bee was stung by my brother. • My brother stung a bee. • My brother was stung by a bee. • My brother was stinged by a bee. (A bee was stung by my brother. / My brother stung a bee. / My brother was stung by a bee. / My brother was stinged 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.

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

eurekami

Active and passive voice

Name

Date

Score/ 8

1
Question 1
Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? A bee stung my brother. • A bee was stung by my brother. • My brother was stinged by a bee. • My brother was stung by a bee. • My brother stung a bee.
- A. A bee was stung by my brother.
- B. My brother was stinged by a bee.
- C. My brother was stung by a bee.
- D. My brother stung a bee.
2
Question 2
Choose the best answer. In a science report about an experiment, which sentence is most appropriately formal?
- A. We heated the stuff for like five minutes.
- B. I reckon we heated it for five minutes.
- C. Heat it for five minutes!
- D. The mixture was heated for five minutes.
3
Question 3
Is this sentence active or passive? The orchestra played three pieces.
- A. active
- B. passive
4
Question 4
Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? Thousands of fans watched the final. • The final watched thousands of fans. • The final is watching by thousands of fans. • The final was watched by thousands of fans. • Thousands of fans were watched by the final.
- A. The final watched thousands of fans.
- B. The final is watching by thousands of fans.
- C. The final was watched by thousands of fans.
- D. Thousands of fans were watched by the final.
5
Question 5
Choose the best answer. Which sentence hides who made the mistake?
- A. The accounts were wrong because of Leo.
- B. Leo's accounts had his mistake.
- C. A mistake was made in the accounts.
- D. Leo made a mistake in the accounts.
6
Question 6
Is this sentence active or passive? The letters are delivered every morning.
- A. active
- B. passive
7
Question 7
Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The council will build a new library. • A new library will be built by the council. • A new library will build the council. • The council will be built by a new library. • A new library is built by the council.
- A. A new library will be built by the council.
- B. A new library will build the council.
- C. The council will be built by a new library.
- D. A new library is built by the council.
8
Question 8
Choose the best answer. Which sentence puts the focus on the painting rather than on the painter?
- A. The artist, in 1890, completed the painting.
- B. In 1890 the artist completed it.
- C. The artist completed the painting in 1890.
- D. The painting was completed in 1890.

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Answer key: Active and passive voice

1. C. My brother was stung by a bee.
2. D. The mixture was heated for five minutes.
3. A. active
4. C. The final was watched by thousands of fans.
5. C. A mistake was made in the accounts.
6. B. passive
7. A. A new library will be built by the council.
8. D. The painting was completed in 1890.