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Active and Passive Voice — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 8 sentences & clauses worksheet.

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Year 8 · English · Sentences & Clauses

Active and Passive Voice — Answers

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Part A — Active or passive?

In the active voice, the subject does the action. In the passive voice, the subject has the action done to it (look for a form of *be* + past participle, often followed by *by*). Circle the voice.

1.The council approved the new skate park.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: active

The subject (the council) does the approving.

2.The new skate park was approved by the council.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: passive

The subject (the skate park) receives the action. Note 'was' + past participle + 'by'.

3.The windows were smashed during the storm.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: passive

The windows did not do anything; something was done to them. The doer is not even named.

4.Our teacher marked the essays overnight.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: active

The teacher does the marking.

5.The medal was awarded to the youngest swimmer.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: passive

'Was awarded': the medal receives the action.

6.A huge wave knocked the surfer off her board.
  1. Aactive
  2. Bpassive

Answer: active

The wave does the knocking.

Part B — Convert

Rewrite each sentence in the other voice. Keep the same tense.

7.Active → passive: The chef prepared the meal.

Answer: The meal was prepared by the chef.

8.Active → passive: Thousands of fans watched the final.

Answer: The final was watched by thousands of fans.

9.Active → passive: The students will present the findings.

Answer: The findings will be presented by the students.

10.Passive → active: The bridge was designed by a local engineer.

Answer: A local engineer designed the bridge.

11.Passive → active: The lost dog was found by a jogger.

Answer: A jogger found the lost dog.

12.Passive → active: The letters are delivered by the postie every morning.

Answer: The postie delivers the letters every morning.

Part C — Which voice, and why?

Circle the best answer.

13.Which sentence sensibly uses the passive because the doer is unknown?
  1. AMy bike was stolen last night.
  2. BThe thief stole my bike.
  3. CSomeone took my bike.
  4. DI lost my bike.

Answer: My bike was stolen last night.

We do not know who stole it, so the passive puts the focus on the bike.

14.Which is the best active rewrite of 'Mistakes were made by the committee'?
  1. AMistakes were made.
  2. BThe committee made mistakes.
  3. CThe committee had mistakes made.
  4. DMistakes by the committee were made.

Answer: The committee made mistakes.

The active version names the doer clearly and directly.

15.In a science report, which is the conventional passive way to describe the method?
  1. AI heated the solution to 60°C.
  2. BThe solution was heated to 60°C.
  3. CWe did heat the solution.
  4. DHeating the solution happened.

Answer: The solution was heated to 60°C.

Science writing often uses the passive so the focus is on the procedure, not the person.

16.A politician says: 'Taxes will be raised.' Why might they choose the passive?
  1. ATo make the sentence longer
  2. BTo avoid saying who is raising the taxes
  3. CBecause the passive is always more formal
  4. DBecause it is grammatically required

Answer: To avoid saying who is raising the taxes

The passive lets the speaker leave out the doer, which can hide responsibility.

Part D — Voice and responsibility

17.Write two short versions of the same news event (3–4 sentences each): a car crashing into a shopfront. Version 1 should use mostly active voice. Version 2 should use passive voice to leave out who was responsible. Then write one sentence explaining which version you think is fairer to the reader and why.

Model answer: Version 1 (active): A learner driver crashed a ute into the front of a Bendigo bakery on Tuesday. The impact shattered the window and destroyed a display cabinet. Nobody was hurt, and the driver apologised to the owner. Version 2 (passive): The front of a Bendigo bakery was damaged on Tuesday when a ute was driven into it. The window was shattered and a display cabinet was destroyed. No injuries were reported. Explanation: Version 1 is fairer because it tells readers who was responsible, while Version 2 hides the driver entirely.

Success criteria:

  • Version 1 uses active voice in most sentences
  • Version 2 uses passive voice and omits the doer
  • Both versions report the same facts
  • The explanation gives a clear reason
  • Correct punctuation throughout
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