• 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. By tonight, I ___ (read) the whole book. (will have read / had read / am reading / have read) → will have readPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
2. Choose the correct perfect tense. By the time we arrived, the film ___ (start). (had started / starts / has started / will have started) → had startedPrompt: 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. (will have lived / had lived / am living / have lived) → have livedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 storm destroyed the old barn. • The old barn was destroyed by the storm. • The storm was destroyed by the old barn. • The old barn is destroying by the storm. • The old barn destroyed the storm. (The old barn was destroyed by the storm. / The storm was destroyed by the old barn. / The old barn is destroying by the storm. / The old barn destroyed 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.
2. 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?

• 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. 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 puts the focus on the painting rather than on the painter? (The painting was completed in 1890. / The artist, in 1890, completed the painting. / In 1890 the artist completed it. / The artist completed the painting in 1890.) → The painting was completed in 1890.Prompt: The passive voice lets a writer leave out the doer or put the focus on what was affected.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-6.