Year 5 English: The passive voice: was, were, is or are with the past participle
Part of the Year 5 English active and passive voice, subject and object chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The passive voice: was, were, is or are with the past participle
Key pattern
The passive voice is made with was, were, is or are and the past participle: The fence was painted.
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
The subject of the active sentence can be added after by: The fence was painted by the class.
Key ideas
- Passive = was/were/is/are + past participle.
- The past participle of paint is painted; of break is broken; of write is written.
- The agent is the person or thing that does the action, usually after by.
- You can leave out the agent if it is not known or not important.
Method. Turn the object into the subject and add was and the past participle.
- Find the object. The fence is the object.the fence
- Make the passive. The fence was painted by the class.was painted
- Write the answer. The fence was painted by the class.
Check. The fence was painted by the class. ✓
Method. Use were with plural nouns.
- Find the object. The letters is the object.the letters
- Use were and the past participle. The past participle of write is written.were written
- Write the answer. The letters were written by Sam.
Check. The letters were written by Sam. ✓
Method. Use is with a singular noun.
- Find the object. The door is the object.the door
- Use is and the past participle. The past participle of close is closed.is closed
- Write the answer. The door is closed by the teacher.
Check. The door is closed by the teacher. ✓
Exercise 6C Practice: making passive sentences
Method. Check the irregular form.
- Find the verb. Take is irregular.take
- Write the form. The past participle is taken.taken
- Write the answer. taken
Check. Taken. ✓
Method. Make the shoe the subject and use was with the past participle.
- Find the object. The shoe is the object.the shoe
- Make the passive. The past participle of chew is chewed.was chewed
- Write the answer. The shoe was chewed by the dog.
Check. The shoe was chewed by the dog. ✓
Method. Make the door the subject.
- Find the object. The door is the object.the door
- Make the passive. Was painted by Ben.was painted
- Write the answer. The door was painted by Ben.
Check. The door was painted by Ben. ✓
Method. Make the bread the subject.
- Find the object. The bread is the object.the bread
- Make the passive. Was baked by the cook.was baked
- Write the answer. The bread was baked by the cook.
Check. The bread was baked by the cook. ✓
Method. Use were because seeds is plural.
- Find the object. The seeds is the object.the seeds
- Use were. Were planted by the children.were planted
- Write the answer. The seeds were planted by the children.
Check. The seeds were planted by the children. ✓
Method. Use are because hens is plural and the verb is in the present.
- Find the object. The hens is the object.the hens
- Use are and the past participle. The past participle of feed is fed.are fed
- Write the answer. The hens are fed by the farmer.
Check. The hens are fed by the farmer. ✓
Method. Use is with a singular noun.
- Find the object. The report is the object.the report
- Use is and the past participle. The past participle of write is written.is written
- Write the answer. The report is written by the teacher.
Check. The report is written by the teacher. ✓
Method. Use was with the past participle made.
- Find the object. A cake is the object.a cake
- Use was and the past participle. The past participle of make is made.was made
- Write the answer. A cake was made by Mum.
Check. A cake was made by Mum. ✓
Method. Use the past participle broken after was.
- Find the error. Broke is the past tense, not the past participle.broke
- Correct the form. The past participle of break is broken.broken
- Write the answer. The window was broken by the wind.
Check. The window was broken by the wind. ✓
Method. Use was or were with the past participle.
- Choose the object. The bus is the subject of the passive.The bus
- Write the sentence. The bus was parked outside the museum by the driver.The bus was parked outside the museum by the driver.
- Write the answer. The bus was parked outside the museum by the driver.
Check. The sentence is passive. ✓
Method. Compare the active and passive versions.
- Look at the active. In The dog chewed the shoe, the shoe is the object.object
- Look at the passive. In The shoe was chewed by the dog, the shoe is now the subject.subject
- Write the answer. the object becomes the subject of the passive sentence
Check. The object becomes the subject. ✓