Year 5 English · Active and passive voice, subject and object · Summary
Year 5 English Active and passive voice, subject and object: summary and key words
Part of the Year 5 English active and passive voice, subject and object chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Chapter summary
| Skill | Method |
|---|---|
| Subject and object | The subject does the verb; the object receives it. Ask who or what. |
| Active voice | The subject does the action: The dog chased the ball. |
| Passive voice | was, were, is or are + past participle: The ball was chased. |
| Agent | The doer, usually after by: The ball was chased by the dog. |
| Choosing the voice | Active for a direct doer; passive for focus on the receiver or an unknown doer. |
Can you…?
- I can find the subject and the object in a sentence
- I can tell whether a sentence is active or passive
- I can make a passive sentence with was, were, is or are
- I can find the agent, and know when to leave it out
- I can choose the active or passive for effect
Key terms
- subject
- the person or thing that does the action of a verb
- object
- the person or thing that receives the action of a verb
- active voice
- a sentence where the subject does the action
- passive voice
- a sentence where the subject has the action done to it, using was or is with a past participle
- agent
- the person or thing that does the action in a passive sentence, usually after by
- past participle
- the form of a verb used in passive sentences, such as broken or written