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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 6 · Active and passive voice, subject and object
Year 5 English · Active and passive voice, subject and object · Lesson 6.2

Year 5 English: The active voice

Part of the Year 5 English active and passive voice, subject and object chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

6.2

The active voice

Year 5
Recognise an active sentence, where the subject does the action (G5-5)
Story. Ali is writing a sports report. He writes, The referee blew the whistle. He wants the reader to know who did the action first. His sentence is in the active voice, because the subject does the verb.

Key pattern

In the active voice, the subject does the action: The referee blew the whistle.

The object is the thing that receives the action: the whistle.

Most sentences are active. The active voice is clear and direct.

Key ideas

  • Active: the subject does the verb.
  • Passive: the subject has the action done to it.
  • Look at who or what does the action to tell which voice a sentence uses.
  • Active sentences often have a clear subject at the front.
Worked example 6.2.1
Is Mia painted the wall. in the active or passive voice?

Method. Look at who does the action.

  1. Find the subject. Mia is the subject.
    Mia
  2. Check the action. Mia does the painting, so the sentence is active.
    active
  3. Write the answer.
    active

Check. Active. ✓

Worked example 6.2.2
Which sentence is active: The cake was eaten or The boy ate the cake?

Method. Find the sentence where the subject does the action.

  1. Check the first. The cake is the subject, but it is eaten: passive.
    passive
  2. Check the second. The boy does the eating: active.
    active
  3. Write the answer.
    The boy ate the cake

Check. The boy ate the cake. ✓

Worked example 6.2.3
Rewrite The cat caught the mouse. so that the subject is still the cat. Write Yes or No: is it still active?

Method. Look at the subject of the verb.

  1. Find the subject. The cat is the subject.
    cat
  2. Check the action. The cat catches, so the sentence is active.
    active
  3. Write the answer.
    Yes

Check. Yes. ✓

Exercise 6B  Practice: active sentences

1
FIs Tom kicked the ball. active or passive?
2
FIs The bus took us to the museum. active or passive?
3
FIs The letter was posted yesterday. active or passive?
4
FIs Ella cooked the soup. active or passive?
5
FIs The window was broken. active or passive?
6
PSWhich of these is active: The vase was broken by the cat or The cat broke the vase?
7
PSRewrite as an active sentence: The park was cleaned by the children.
8
PSRewrite as an active sentence: The song was sung by the choir.
9
PSRewrite as an active sentence: The goal was scored by Sam.
10
RWrite one active sentence about an animal.
11
RExplain why The window was broken is not in the active voice.

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