Active and Passive Voice: The Basics — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 7 sentences & clauses worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 7 · English · Sentences & ClausesActive and Passive Voice: The Basics — Answers
Part A: Active or passive?
In an active sentence, the doer comes first: The cat chased the mouse. In a passive sentence, the thing that receives the action comes first, and the verb uses was or were: The mouse was chased by the cat. Circle one.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: active
The doer (the choir) comes first and does the singing.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: passive
The song comes first and receives the action: was + sung + by.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: active
The doer (our class) comes first.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: passive
The window receives the action: was + broken + by.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: active
The doer (the rain) comes first.
- Aactive
- Bpassive
Answer: passive
The letters receive the action: were + delivered. The doer is not named, which is common in passive sentences.
Part B: Who did it?
In a passive sentence, the doer often comes after the word by. Write the doer.
Answer: Ava
Answer: Grandpa
Answer: the youngest runner
Answer: the twins
Part C: Active to passive
Rewrite each sentence in the passive voice. Move the thing acted on to the front, use was or were with the past participle, and put the doer after by.
Answer: The ball was chased by the dog.
Answer: The fence was painted by Mia.
Answer: The trees were planted by the children.
- Trees is plural, so use were, not was.
Answer: My brother was stung by a bee.
Part D: Passive to active
Rewrite each sentence in the active voice. Start with the doer.
Answer: The twins ate the cake.
Answer: Leo wrote the note.
Answer: The workers carried the boxes.
Answer: The wind knocked over the tower.
- Also correct: The wind knocked the tower over.
Part E: True or false?
Answer: False
The doer can be left out: The window was broken.
Answer: True
Active sentences usually use fewer words, which is why writers often prefer them.
Answer: False
The bike receives the action and the verb is was + fixed + by, so it is passive.
Part F: Your turn
Model answer: Active: Our class planted a vegetable garden. Passive: A vegetable garden was planted by our class. The active sentence is clearer because it is shorter and tells us who did the planting first.
Success criteria:
- One correct active sentence
- The same idea rewritten correctly in the passive (was/were + past participle, with or without by)
- A reason given for which version is clearer
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.