Passive/active voice

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

About the micro-lesson

• Lessonup.com
• Introduction in using passive voice
• Goal: 

• B1 level
• 
  
• 4 VWO
• Introduction and presentation phase 

To recognise active and passive voice 

Make a sentence in the passive voice using only present simple and past simple 

Welcome students

Recognise active and passive voice 

What caused the accident?

_____________ caused the accident.

Active voice 

Tells us what a person or thing does. 

Ellen teaches grammar. 

subject + verb + object 

Anouk played Animal Crossing.

Willem loves history. 

Wesley watches Stark Trek. 

The subject performs the action on the object. 

The accident was caused by ___________.

Passive voice 

Tells us what is done to someone or something. 

Grammar is taught by Ellen. 

subject + verb + agent 

Animal Crossing was played by Anouk.

History is loved by Willem. 

Star Trek is watched by Wesley. 

The subject is being acted upon. 

Active voice        Passive voice 

Animal Crossing was played by Anouk.

History is loved by Willem. 

Star Trek is watched by Wesley. 

Anouk played Animal Crossing.

Willem loves history. 

Sander watches Stark Trek. 

Basic rules 

• The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.  

• To be + verb + past particle 
• I like grammar - Grammar was liked by me.

But what if there is no object? 

The house was painted. 

I go swimming. 

He was eaten. 

1/3. I broke the plate.

1. Active
2. Passive

2/3. My bicycle was stolen.

1. Active
2. Passive

3/3. The cat was chased by the dog.

1. Active
2. Passive

Today I saw something crazy! A red car in a big yellow garbage container. How did that happen? 

 

Apparently, the accident was caused by a zombie on the road. The zombie loves cars. So he wanted to take a better look. The driver was surprised by the zombie. He drove off the ledge and ended up in an open container below.

The poor zombie was scolded. A police officer arrested the zombie. The car was dumped. 

I take a picture of the scene. Nobody is going to believe this story otherwise.  

Assignment

• Work in pairs
• Find at least three sentences written in the active voice and underline them
• Find at least three sentences written in the passive voice and underline them

• Finished? Change the sentences from active voice to passive voice  

Cootie catcher/ fortune teller