PASSIVE VOICE
TEACHING GUIDE
Useful Guidelines
Consider these questions when identifying and using the passive voice:
Can I say who did the action, even if I don’t write it?
Does my sentence make complete sense?
Does it include “to be + past participle”?
Section 1: Removing the agent
Read the sentences below. Decide if the subject can be omitted. Write 'Yes' or 'No' in the space
provided.
1. Are the windows cleaned every week by the janitor before starting class? (_______)
2. Had the medicine been administered by the nurse yet? (_______)
3. Pedro has been sponsored by many cycling companies after graduating. (_______)
4. All the chocolate was stolen by my mom! (_______)
5. The mall is being designed by expert arquitects, so it looks like a guitar. (_______)
6. The movie is being directed by the renowned director Hayao Miyazaki. (_______)
7. The best poems have been posted at the entry by the teacher. (_______)
8. The window was broken by the thief when they broke in. (_______)
9. A suspicious man has been spotted by a witness just a few hours ago (_______)
Section 2: Active or Passive?
Identify whether each sentence is in active or passive voice. Write 'Active' or 'Passive' in the space
provided.
1. Daniel’s dog chased his tail for hours. (_______________)
2. The dinner was cooked by Melissa. (______________)
3. Daniela is dancing tango with Piero for their anniversary. (_______________)
4. The original ‘Aladdin’ was recorded in 1992. (_______________)
5. Has the mailman delivered the package?. (_______________)
6. An old lady had been guided to the other side of the street. (_______________)
7. A batch of kittens are being groomed by the stillist. (________________)
8. The guitarrist played an amazing solo on the concert. (________________)
9. “Jurasic park” was being played at cinemas this weekend. (_________________)
10. Is Carlos on his way to the beach to celebrate his graduation? (_________________)
Section 3: Rewrite in Passive Voice
Read the following sentences you will notice that they are in active voice, your task will be to turn
them into passive voice. Example: Sophia made a snowman in the backyard → The snowman in the
backyard was made by Sophia.
1. The children used the computer to do their homework.
2. Bees are eating the pollen to make honey.
3. Kevin is tending his garden right now.
4. Leonardo Da vinci painted the famous “Mona lisa” in 1504.
5. Old and young alike consider Origami a relaxing hobby.
6. Grandpa Francisco repaired an old radio with spare parts.
Section 4: Creating A short Story
In this activity, you will create a short story using small sentences. The twist is that you need to
alternate between active and passive voice. This means that some sentences should show who is
doing the action (active), and other sentences should focus on what happens to someone or
something (passive). Your story should be 8 to 10 sentences long. Be creative and unleash your
imagination!
Summary
Passive voice consists on crafting a sentence where the focus of said sentence is on the actions
rather than the noun. In some cases the agent (Usually followed by the preposition ‘by’) can be
eliminated, so long as the information it provides is redundant or unnecessary.