PracticeQuestionsYears 1–7
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Passive voice and formal language

Year 6 · Upper Key Stage 2 · E6-G-PASSIVE, E6-G-FORMAL — Passive voice; formal and informal vocabulary, including the subjunctive

Draft — awaiting teacher review

Builds on: Standard English and clear pronouns (Year 4), Modal verbs and degrees of possibility (Year 5)

I

Concept Anchor

In the active voice, the doer comes first: The ball broke the window. In the passive, the thing acted on comes first: The window was broken (by the ball). Formal writing uses words like 'If I were you' instead of 'If I was you'.

Worked example

Make it passive: The dog chewed the shoe.

  1. 1.What was acted on? The shoe.
  2. 2.Put it first: The shoe …
  3. 3.Add 'was' and the verb: was chewed.
  4. 4.The shoe was chewed by the dog.
II

Guided Check

Make it passive: Our class planted the trees.

    III

    Independent Diagnostic Practice

    Q1Year 6E6-G-PASSIVE — Identify the passive·Fluency·●○○Draft — awaiting teacher review

    Which sentence is written in the passive voice?

    Q2Year 6E6-G-PASSIVE — Rewrite in the passive·Reasoning·●●○Draft — awaiting teacher review

    Rewrite in the passive: The cat chased the mouse.

    Q3Year 6E6-G-FORMAL — Formal language and the subjunctive·Problem Solving·●●●Draft — awaiting teacher review

    Which sentence would suit a formal letter best?