ChalkHour

Year 6 English: Active and passive voice lesson pack

A complete, ready-to-teach KS2 lesson on active and passive voice. Below is a real sample of what ChalkHour makes: the full pack adds three levels of worksheet, model answers, a teaching explainer and print-ready PDF and Word files.

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Real sample

Mastering Active and Passive Voice

This lesson teaches pupils to recognise and use the active and passive voice correctly, a key requirement for the KS2 English SATs. Pupils will explore how the shift in voice changes the focus of a sentence and learn to apply this in their writing for formal and informal effects.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the subject, verb, and object in a sentence.
  • Distinguish between active and passive voice in various contexts.
  • Rewrite active sentences into the passive voice (and vice versa) accurately.
  • Explain the effect of using the passive voice (e.g., to shift focus or create formality).

Lesson plan (60 minutes)

  1. Starter · 10 min

    Hook: Display an image of a broken window. Ask who did it. Contrast 'A boy broke the window' with 'The window was broken'. Discuss the difference in tone.

  2. Introduction · 15 min

    Teacher-led explainer on the anatomy of active vs passive sentences, focusing on the subject, verb, and object. Use the worked example.

  3. Main Activity · 20 min

    Students work through differentiated worksheets (Support, Core, or Stretch) based on prior attainment.

  4. Assessment · 10 min

    Peer marking of worksheets followed by an 8-question multiple-choice quiz to check for individual understanding.

  5. Plenary · 5 min

    Review misconceptions. Challenge students to turn a passive sentence into an active one verbally before leaving.

Key vocabulary

Subject
The person or thing performing the action in a sentence.
Object (of a verb)
The person or thing that the action is being done to.
Active Voice
When the subject of the sentence performs the action.
Passive Voice
When the subject of the sentence receives the action.
Past Participle
The form of a verb typically used with 'has' or 'was' (e.g., 'broken', 'written', 'kicked').

Core worksheet (first questions)

  1. Rewrite in the passive: 'The gardener planted flowers.'
  2. Rewrite in the passive: 'The author wrote the novel.'
  3. Rewrite in the passive: 'Sarah scored the goal.'
  4. Rewrite in the passive: 'The team made mistakes.'

Quiz (sample)

  1. 1. Identify the voice: 'The cat chased the mouse.'

    • A. Active
    • B. Passive
    • C. Past Tense
    • D. Present Tense

  2. 2. Identify the voice: 'The cake was eaten by the dog.'

    • A. Active
    • B. Passive
    • C. Future Tense
    • D. Subjunctive mood

  3. 3. What is the passive version of: 'The ball broke the window'?

    • A. The ball was breaking the window.
    • B. The window broke the ball.
    • C. The window was broken by the ball.
    • D. The ball had broken the window.

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Support and Stretch worksheets, every answer and model answer, the teaching explainer and common misconceptions, editable and ready to print as PDF or Word.

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