Active and Passive Voice
Active and passive voice describe who or what performs the action in a sentence: in the active voice the subject does the action ('The dog bit the man'), while in the passive voice the subject receives the action ('The man was bitten by the dog'). Year 6 pupils learn to convert between the two and to choose passive voice for formal or impersonal writing.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Find the subject, verb and object of the active sentence (who does what to whom).
- To make the passive, move the object of the active sentence to the front so it becomes the new subject.
- Change the verb to a form of 'to be' plus the past participle (e.g. 'bit' becomes 'was bitten').
- Add 'by' plus the original subject only if it is important to know who did the action; otherwise drop it for a more impersonal, formal tone.
- Check the tense of 'to be' matches the tense of the original active verb (present, past, and so on).
- Read both versions aloud: choose active voice for punchy, direct writing and passive voice for formal, scientific or impersonal writing.
Worked example
Rewrite this active sentence in the passive voice: 'The council closed the old library in June.'
- Identify the subject (the council), verb (closed) and object (the old library).
- Move the object 'the old library' to the start of the sentence, making it the new subject.
- Change the verb 'closed' to the passive form 'was closed' (past tense of 'to be' plus past participle).
- Add 'by the council' if the doer is worth mentioning, or drop it for a more formal tone.
- Final answer: 'The old library was closed in June (by the council).'
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a English exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Rewrite this sentence in the passive voice: 'The company recalled thousands of faulty toys.'
Explain one reason a writer might choose the passive voice instead of the active voice in a formal report.
The sentence below is in the active voice. Rewrite it in the passive voice, then explain how the effect on the reader changes: 'Vandals damaged the war memorial.'
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the active and passive voice worksheet pack - 12 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. No sign-up, no email wall - just the PDF, free for personal and classroom use.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.