Use Plazoom’s Sentence Builder Game to develop Y6 pupils’ understanding of active and passive verbs. They will do this by: learning how sentences can be changed from the active to passive voice; discussing how using passive verbs changes how information is presented; and developing their understanding of the subject and object within a sentence.
Pupils will use the noun and verb cards to create sentences using the active voice, rehearsing them orally, before reorganising the cards so that the sentence is written using the passive voice.
The grammar game will also give pupils the opportunity to use and understand the year 6 grammar terminology in English appendix 2 when discussing their sentences.
This sentence game for KS2 can be played as a whole class as a fun English lesson starter activity or as the main focus of the lesson. It could also be used as a writing intervention in KS2 for pupils who may need support to when using the passive voice in their sentences.
What is passive voice?
The passive voice is when the object and verb (or action) is emphasised in a sentence over the subject. The subject is not performing the verb in the passive voice, but is rather being acted upon by it.
When the subject is emphasised, this is the active voice.
Passive voice examples
- The Beatles were adored by fans.
- Claire was chased by the angry wasp.
- The sheep were quickly rounded up by the dog.
- My car was left unlocked.
- The staffroom biscuits have all gone.
Active and passive voice example
Active: The school arranged a visit.
Passive: A visit was arranged by the school.
National Curriculum English programme of study links
- Pupils should be taught to use passive verbs to affect the presentation of information in a sentence [for example, ‘I broke the window in the greenhouse’ versus ‘The window in the greenhouse was broken (by me)’].
- Pupils should be taught to use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 accurately and appropriately when discussing their writing.