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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.
  1. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The chef cooks the meals. • The meals cook the chef. • The meals are cooked by the chef. • The chef is cooked by the meals. • The meals were cooking by the chef. (The meals cook the chef. / The meals are cooked by the chef. / The chef is cooked by the meals. / 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?
  3. Choose the best answer. In a science report about an experiment, which sentence is most appropriately formal? (We heated the stuff for like five minutes. / The mixture was heated for five minutes. / Heat it for five minutes! / I reckon we heated it for five minutes.) → The mixture was heated for five minutes.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.
  1. Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? Mistakes were made by the referee. • The referee makes mistakes. • The referee was made by mistakes. • The referee made mistakes. • Mistakes made the referee. (The referee makes mistakes. / The referee was made by mistakes. / The referee made mistakes. / Mistakes made the referee.) → The referee made mistakes.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 letter was delivered by mistake. → nobodyPrompt: 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.
  1. Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The road is being repaired by the council. • The road is repairing the council. • The council is being repaired by the road. • The council repaired the road. • The council is repairing the road. (The road is repairing the council. / The council is being repaired by the road. / The council repaired 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.
  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.

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

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Rewriting passive sentences in the active voice

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    This sentence is passive. Who or what actually does the action? Type it (or type 'nobody' if the doer isn't named). The window was smashed by the hailstones.

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The experiment was carried out by our class. • Our class carried out the experiment. • Our class carries out the experiment. • The experiment carried out our class. • Our class was carried out by the experiment.

    • A. Our class carried out the experiment.
    • B. Our class carries out the experiment.
    • C. The experiment carried out our class.
    • D. Our class was carried out by the experiment.

  3. Question 3

    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.

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The song was written by two students. • Two students wrote the song. • Two students write the song. • Two students were written by the song. • The song wrote two students.

    • A. Two students wrote the song.
    • B. Two students write the song.
    • C. Two students were written by the song.
    • D. The song wrote two students.

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The song was written by two students. • Two students were written by the song. • Two students wrote the song. • Two students write the song. • The song wrote two students.

    • A. Two students were written by the song.
    • B. Two students wrote the song.
    • C. Two students write the song.
    • D. The song wrote two students.

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The windows have been cleaned by the volunteers. • The volunteers have cleaned the windows. • The windows have cleaned the volunteers. • The volunteers will clean the windows. • The volunteers cleaned by the windows.

    • A. The volunteers have cleaned the windows.
    • B. The windows have cleaned the volunteers.
    • C. The volunteers will clean the windows.
    • D. The volunteers cleaned by the windows.

  7. Question 7

    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.

    Answer

  8. Question 8

    Which sentence is the correct active version, keeping the same tense? The new library will be opened by the mayor. • The mayor opened the new library. • The new library will open the mayor. • The mayor will be opened by the library. • The mayor will open the new library.

    • A. The mayor opened the new library.
    • B. The new library will open the mayor.
    • C. The mayor will be opened by the library.
    • D. The mayor will open the new library.

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Answer key: Rewriting passive sentences in the active voice

  1. 1. the hailstones

  2. 2. A. Our class carried out the experiment.

  3. 3. two teachers

  4. 4. A. Two students wrote the song.

  5. 5. B. Two students wrote the song.

  6. 6. A. The volunteers have cleaned the windows.

  7. 7. the river

  8. 8. D. The mayor will open the new library.