Language Arts: Active and Passive Voice
Identifying and revising sentence voice
Language Arts: Active and Passive Voice
Identifying and revising sentence voice
Language Arts - Grade 6-8
- 1
Identify the voice of this sentence: The chef prepared the meal.
Look for whether the subject does the action.
This sentence uses active voice because the subject, the chef, performs the action of preparing the meal. - 2
Identify the voice of this sentence: The meal was prepared by the chef.
This sentence uses passive voice because the subject, the meal, receives the action instead of performing it. - 3
Rewrite this sentence in active voice: The song was sung by the choir.
Make the doer of the action the subject of the sentence.
The choir sang the song. - 4
Rewrite this sentence in passive voice: The scientist recorded the results.
The results were recorded by the scientist. - 5
Identify the voice of this sentence: Maya mailed the package yesterday.
Find the subject and check whether it completes the action.
This sentence uses active voice because Maya performs the action of mailing the package. - 6
Identify the voice of this sentence: The package was mailed yesterday by Maya.
This sentence uses passive voice because the package receives the action of being mailed. - 7
Rewrite this sentence in active voice: The classroom was cleaned by the students after school.
Start the sentence with the people doing the action.
The students cleaned the classroom after school. - 8
Rewrite this sentence in passive voice: The dog chased the ball across the yard.
The ball was chased across the yard by the dog. - 9
Choose the clearer sentence and explain why: A) The award was presented by the principal. B) The principal presented the award.
Active voice is often more direct and easier to understand.
Sentence B is clearer because it uses active voice and directly shows that the principal performed the action. - 10
Rewrite this sentence in active voice: The final decision was made by the committee.
The committee made the final decision. - 11
Rewrite this sentence in passive voice: Jordan completed the art project in one week.
Move the receiver of the action to the beginning of the sentence.
The art project was completed in one week by Jordan. - 12
Identify the voice of this sentence: The windows were broken during the storm.
This sentence uses passive voice because the windows receive the action, and the sentence does not name who or what caused it. - 13
Rewrite this sentence to active voice if possible: The homework was finished before dinner.
Add a subject that clearly performs the action.
One possible active version is: Sofia finished the homework before dinner. An active sentence must name who performed the action. - 14
Write your own sentence in active voice about school.
Answers will vary. A correct example is: The teacher explained the assignment to the class. - 15
Write your own sentence in passive voice about sports.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action.
Answers will vary. A correct example is: The winning goal was scored by the captain.