Active and Passive Voices Made Simple

Active vs Passive Voice—A Year 6 Parent Guide for SATs Success

Active vs Passive Voice

By Year 6, UK pupils must recognise and use both active and passive voice. While the grammar term can sound daunting, the idea is straightforward once you know what to look for. Use this post to refresh your own knowledge, help your child spot the difference, and practise flipping sentences from one voice to the other.

1. Quick Definitions

Voice	What It Means	Structure Pattern	Snapshot Example
Active	The subject does the action.	Subject + verb + object	“The dog chased the ball.”
Passive	The object is promoted to the front; the doer may be hidden or added with by.	Object + form of be + past participle (+ by + agent)	“The ball was chased (by the dog).”

Easy memory hook:

Active = Actor first.

Passive = Patient first.

2. How to Spot Passive Voice in Seconds

1. Look for a form of be + past participle

   • is cleaned, was stolen, has been chosen

2. Add the phrase “by zombies” after the verb.

   • “The cake was eaten (by zombies).” If it still makes sense (and zombies didn’t appear earlier!), it’s likely passive.

3. Check who comes first: If the action’s receiver (object) is front-loaded, you’re looking at passive.

   
   

3. Converting Active to Passive—Step by Step

Active Sentence	1. Move the Object Up	2. Add Correct Be Form	3. Add Past Participle	4. Optional “by” Agent	Passive Result
The scientist mixed the chemicals.	The chemicals …	were … (because past simple)	… mixed …	… by the scientist. (keep or drop)	The chemicals were mixed (by the scientist).

Tense tip: The be verb must match the original tense.

• mixes → are mixed  | will mix → will be mixed  | had mixed → had been mixed

4. When—and Why—Writers Choose Passive

Purpose	Example
Focus on the result, not the doer	“The homework was completed.”
Doer is unknown or irrelevant	“The window was broken overnight.”
Scientific / formal tone	“The solution was heated to 60 °C.”
Polite diplomacy	“Mistakes were made.”

Children should learn to recognise passive voice and use it sparingly when the context calls for it.

5. Quick Practice Ideas at Home

1. Active–Passive Flip Cards

   • Write six active sentences on one side of index cards; flip them over and let your child convert them to passive (or vice versa).

2. News Detective

   • Skim a news article together. Highlight passives in green, actives in orange. Discuss why the journalist chose each voice.

3. EnglishFun Practice Questions

   • Go to our Passive Voice and Active Voice topics to learn and practice how to convert between them.

6. Common Pitfalls (and Fixes)

Slip-Up	How to Fix
Forgetting the past participle	Remember: be + third form (e.g. build → built).
Changing the tense inaccurately	Match the be verb to the original tense, then add the participle.
Leaving out the main verb altogether	Don’t stop at “The cake was by James.” → needs: “…was baked by James.”

7. SATs & Year 6 Assessment Pointers

• Identify, not over-use: The Grammar Paper often asks which sentence is passive or to change one sentence from active to passive.

• Keep meaning the same: When converting, ensure subject–verb agreement and original meaning stay intact.

• Comma watch: Usually no comma is needed when adding by + agent.

  
  

Final Encouragement

Active voice keeps writing punchy; passive voice shifts the spotlight. Mastering both helps children vary sentence structure and meet Year 6 objectives. A few minutes of daily “flip practice” will make the distinction second nature long before exam day.

Happy sentence-swapping!