A grammatically accurate sentence has a subject and a verb. It can contain an object.
A sentence can be written or spoken in the active voice.
A sentence can be written or spoken in the passive voice.
The active voice and passive voice are useful for different purposes.

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that a passive sentence always contains the old subject of the active sentence.

Sometimes the old subject is removed completely like in this example: 'We passed the ball.' > 'The ball was passed.'

Keywords

Subject - the noun, noun phrase or pronoun that does or is the main verb in the active voice
Object - the noun, noun phrase or pronoun that receives the action of the main verb in the active voice
Active voice - a spoken or written voice in which the subject does the verb in a sentence
Passive voice - a spoken or written voice in which the subject is acted upon by the verb

Complete lessons on the active and passive voice and subjects and objects can be found in our Year 6 Grammar curriculum.

Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Worksheet

Download worksheet

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.

Match each group of words to the type of tense it shows being used.

Correct Answer:play,simple tense

simple tense

Correct Answer:have played,perfect tense

perfect tense

Correct Answer:is playing,progressive tense

progressive tense

Q2.

Match the types of tense to the examples.

Correct Answer:simple tense,We will arrive.

We will arrive.

Correct Answer:progressive tense,We will be arriving.

We will be arriving.

Correct Answer:perfect tense,We will have arrived.

We will have arrived.

Q3.

Which sentences use a perfect tense?

We were eating.

Correct answer: We had eaten.

Correct answer: We will have eaten.

We ate.

Q4.

Which perfect past verbs would complete this sentence? 'He __________ out of nowhere.'

has appeared

is appearing

appeared

Correct answer: had appeared

Q5.

Which perfect present verbs would complete this sentence? 'Sam __________ to every single meeting.'

came

had come

Correct answer: has come

comes

Q6.

Match the sentences to the tenses.

Correct Answer:simple present,she flies

she flies

Correct Answer:progressive present,she is flying

she is flying

Correct Answer:perfect present,she has flown

she has flown

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.

Which word is the subject of this sentence? 'Andeep passed the ball to Sofia.'

Correct answer: Andeep

ball

Sofia

Q2.

What is the object of this sentence? 'He threw the chalk to her.'

Correct answer: the chalk

her

Q3.

Identify the subject, verb and object in this sentence: 'Germany invaded Poland in 1939.'

Correct Answer:subject,Germany

Germany

Correct Answer:verb,invaded

invaded

Correct Answer:object,Poland

Poland

Q4.

What would be the passive version of this active sentence? 'The committee made the decision.'

The committee was made by the decision.

Correct answer: The decision was made by the committee.

The decision is being made by the committee.

The decision was being made by the committee.

Q5.

What would be the active version of this sentence? 'A poem will be performed by Year 5.'

Year 5 will have performed a poem.

Correct answer: Year 5 will perform a poem.

A poem will perform Year 5.

By Year 5 will a poem be performed.

Q6.

Tick the passive voice sentences.

Correct answer: A decision was made.

We made a decision.

The committee took a decision.

Correct answer: A decision has been taken.