Active and Passive Voice – Primary 5 English Grammar Lesson
Lesson Plan: English Grammar – Primary 5 First Term
General Information
- Subject: English Grammar
- Class: Primary 5
- Term: First Term
- Week: 3
- Age: 9 years
- Topic: Structure: Active Voice and Passive Voice
- Sub-topic: Identifying, Changing, and Analyzing Active and Passive Sentences
- Duration: 60 minutes
Behavioural Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
- Identify active and passive sentences.
- Change active sentences to passive sentences.
- Change passive sentences to active sentences.
- Analyze the features of active and passive voice.
Keywords
- Active voice
- Passive voice
- Subject
- Object
- Verb
Set Induction (Introduction)
The teacher writes two sentences on the board:
- The boy kicked the ball.
- The ball was kicked by the boy.
The teacher then asks the pupils:
- What differences do you notice between the sentences?
- Which sentence sounds more direct?
The teacher explains that the first sentence is in active voice and the second is in passive voice, introducing the topic.
Entry Behavior
Pupils have learned about subjects, verbs, and objects in sentences. Now, they will learn how sentence structure changes in active and passive voice.
Learning Resources and Materials
- Sentence flashcards
- Charts displaying active and passive voice sentences
- Story excerpts with active and passive sentences
Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge
The teacher reminds pupils that every complete sentence has a subject, verb, and object. The way these elements are arranged determines whether a sentence is in the active voice or passive voice.
Embedded Core Skills
- Listening and Speaking
- Reading and Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Sentence Construction
Learning Materials
- Lagos State Scheme of Work
- New Oxford Primary English Book 5
Instructional Materials
- Sentence strips
- Whiteboard and markers
- Chart showing active and passive sentence transformations
Lesson Content
1. Definition of Active and Passive Voice
- Active voice: The subject performs the action.
- Passive voice: The action is received by the subject.
2. Examples of Active and Passive Sentences
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| The girl wrote a letter. | A letter was written by the girl. |
| The teacher teaches English. | English is taught by the teacher. |
| The dog chased the cat. | The cat was chased by the dog. |
3. Features of Active and Passive Voice
Active Voice:
- The subject comes first.
- The verb is in its usual form.
- The sentence is direct and strong.
- Example: She baked a cake.
Passive Voice:
- The object comes first.
- The verb changes to a form of “be” + past participle.
- The subject is mentioned after “by” (sometimes omitted).
- Example: A cake was baked by her.
4. Changing Active Sentences to Passive Sentences
Steps:
- Move the object to the front.
- Use the correct form of “to be” + past participle.
- Add “by” + the subject (optional).
Example:
- Active: John painted the house.
- Passive: The house was painted by John.
5. Changing Passive Sentences to Active Sentences
Steps:
- Move the subject to the front.
- Remove “to be” and adjust the verb to its original form.
- Remove “by” if it is unnecessary.
Example:
- Passive: The cake was eaten by Tom.
- Active: Tom ate the cake.
Active and Passive Voice Evaluation (Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Form)
Choose the correct transformation for each sentence.
- Active: The farmer grows crops.
- Passive: Crops _____ by the farmer.
a) grow
b) are grown
c) grew
- Passive: Crops _____ by the farmer.
- Passive: The door was opened by her.
- Active: She _____ the door.
a) opens
b) opened
c) was opening
- Active: She _____ the door.
- Active: The chef cooked a delicious meal.
- Passive: A delicious meal _____ by the chef.
a) was cooked
b) cooked
c) is cooking
- Passive: A delicious meal _____ by the chef.
- Passive: A book was written by her.
- Active: She _____ a book.
a) writes
b) wrote
c) was writing
- Active: She _____ a book.
- Active: They cleaned the classroom.
- Passive: The classroom _____ by them.
a) cleaned
b) was cleaned
c) is cleaned
- Passive: The classroom _____ by them.
Active and Passive Voice Class Activity (Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs)
- What is the difference between active and passive voice?
- Active voice focuses on the subject performing the action, while passive voice focuses on the object receiving the action.
- Give two examples of active sentences.
-
- Change the sentence into passive voice: “The cat chased the mouse.”
-
- Why do we use passive voice?
- When the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or when the focus is on the action itself.
- Change the passive sentence into active: “A song was sung by her.”
-
- What word is commonly used in passive voice?
- The verb “to be” in different forms (is, was, were, etc.).
- Rewrite the sentence in passive: “She bought a new dress.”
-
Presentation Steps
Teacher’s Activities:
- Explains the concept of active and passive voice.
- Provides examples and guides pupils in changing sentences.
- Conducts activities where pupils identify sentence structures.
Learners’ Activities:
- Identify active and passive voice in given sentences.
- Practice transforming active sentences to passive and vice versa.
- Work in groups to write sentences and convert them.
Assessment
- Define active and passive voice.
- Identify the voice of this sentence: “The book was read by the student.”
- Convert “The girl drew a picture.” into passive voice.
- Convert “A song was composed by the artist.” into active voice.
- Write three sentences in active voice and change them to passive.
Conclusion
The teacher summarizes the lesson, asks pupils to give more examples, and corrects any mistakes in their exercises.