Considering and using active and passive voice in persuasive letter writing
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify and analyse the effects of active and passive voice and consider in which circumstances which is more effective.
Key learning points
- We might see active voice as more direct, concise and confident.
- We could see passive voice as less direct, more detached and objective.
- Potentially, we might see active voice as more appropriate in more persuasive writing circumstances.
- However, we might use passive voice if we want to avoid responsibility or make a complaint.
Keywords
Active voice - where the subject of the sentence performs the action onto the object
Passive voice - where the object is acted upon by the subject of the sentence
Direct - moving towards a place or object, without changing direction and without stopping
Subtle - making use of indirect methods to achieve something
Objective - not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts
Common misconception
That the connection between the subject and object of a sentence doesn't matter in persuasive writing.
Using active or passive voice can affect the tone of your writing and how the reader responds to it.
Teacher tip
If you have time, it might be useful to have pupils rewrite their whole letter in passive voice and compare the two so that they can see the difference.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'The person or thing performing the action' in a sentence is the ...
Q2.'The person or thing that receives the action of the verb' in a sentence is the ...
Q3.In the sentence 'William Shakespeare wrote 'Hamlet.', which word is the subject?
Q4.In the sentence 'The book 'Jane Eyre' was written by Charlotte Brontë.' which word is the object?
Q5.'A form of non-fiction writing that is written to persuade a reader of a belief, opinion or idea' is the definition of writing.
Q6.'Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts' is the definition of __________.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'Where the subject of the sentence performs the action onto the object' is the definition of voice.
Q2.'Where the object is acted upon by the subject of the sentence' is the definition of voice.
Q3.'Moving towards a place or object, without changing direction and without stopping' is the definition of the following words?
Q4.'Making use of indirect methods to achieve something' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Q5.Which of the following do we typically associate with active voice?
Q6.Which of the following might passive voice be appropriate for?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Considering and using active and passive voice in persuasive letter writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Considering and using active and passive voice in persuasive letter writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Non-fiction: letter writing unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.