Active and passive, and why a writer might hide who did it
Lesson 17 of 17 Year 6
Task 1 gives the letter of the right option as printed on the sheet. Task 2 lists the mistakes in the order they appear, with the correction. Task 3 and 4 answers are models, not the only acceptable wording: any answer that uses the rule the lesson taught should be credited.
MildDoer up front, active. Was or were, done-to up front, passive. Then ask: are we told who?
1 · Tick the right one
a Bb Bc Ad BA = left option, B = right option
3 · Now you write
Model answers
Tick: the pans · Mia chopped the onions.
Tick: washed
Tick: The last biscuit was taken.
4 · Help Polpetta
The passive cannot save him because somebody still ate the cannoli; the passive only hides the doer, it does not make him disappear. Ask: eaten by whom?
2 · Find the 3 mistakes
1
The soup was cooked by the chef (active)
The soup was cooked by the chef (passive)
2
Mia laid the tables (passive)
Mia laid the tables (active)
3
The last cannoli was eaten (active)
The last cannoli was eaten (passive)
Somebody ate the last cannoli (active) is the vague-looking label that is already right: somebody is the doer, up front.
MediumEvery passive has a doer standing just off the page. Ask it: by whom?, then decide if hiding them was fair.
1 · Tick the right one
a Bb Ac Ad BA = left option, B = right option
3 · Now you write
Model answers
Tick: The bread was baked by Nonna., The tables were laid. · Nonna baked the bread. The bread was baked by Nonna.
Tick: were laid · The menus were written by Polpetta.
Tick: The order was cancelled., The window was smashed in the night. · We do not know who cancelled the order or smashed the window, so the passive is fair.
4 · Help Polpetta
The passive is hiding the person who ate the cannoli; ask it by whom and someone is still there. An honest report says who did it: I ate the last cannoli, or Polpetta ate the last cannoli.
2 · Find the 4 mistakes
1
The soup was cooked by the chef (active)
The soup was cooked by the chef (passive)
2
Mia laid the tables (passive)
Mia laid the tables (active)
3
The last cannoli was eaten (active)
The last cannoli was eaten (passive)
4
The recipe is kept secret (active)
The recipe is kept secret (passive)
Somebody ate the last cannoli (active) is the decoy and is right. The window was broken by Leo (passive) is also right.
SpicyWas is not proof of passive, and vague is not the same as hidden. Test the shape: could you add by someone?
1 · Tick the right one
a Bb Bc Bd AA = left option, B = right option
3 · Now you write
Model answers
Leo broke the window. The window was broken by Leo. The window was broken. The last one is fair only if nobody knows who did it.
Honest: The road was closed overnight (we do not know or care who closed it). Dodging: The plate was broken, so nobody is to blame.
The soup was cold. Not passive: cold is not a verb and you cannot add by someone.
4 · Help Polpetta
The soup was cold is not passive at all, cold is not a verb and nothing was done to the soup. The other two are hiding doers: somebody made the mistakes and somebody ate the cannoli. Ask by whom and they come back: Polpetta made mistakes and Polpetta ate the cannoli.
2 · Find the 6 mistakes
1
The soup was cooked by the chef (active)
The soup was cooked by the chef (passive)
2
Mia laid the tables (passive)
Mia laid the tables (active)
3
The last cannoli was eaten (active)
The last cannoli was eaten (passive)
4
Nonna keeps the recipe secret (passive)
Nonna keeps the recipe secret (active)
5
The recipe is kept secret (active)
The recipe is kept secret (passive)
6
The soup was cold (passive)
The soup was cold (not passive)
Somebody ate the last cannoli (active) is the decoy and is right. Mistakes were made (passive) is also right. The soup was cold is not passive: cold is not a verb and you cannot add by someone; accept active or not passive as the corrected label.