Active Voice in Historical Narratives

Start with Active or Passive? Identify the Voice so students can find the be verb and past participle. Then assign rewrites such as Active Voice in Historical Narratives, and finish with Choose Active or Passive Voice for Effect.

Turn passive sentences about Lewis and Clark active, from Congress to Sacagawea and the Shoshone. In active voice the subject does the action (Clark drew the map). In passive voice the subject receives it (The map was drawn by Clark). The directions on the page read: Each sentence about the Lewis and Clark expedition is in passive voice. Rewrite it on the 2 lines in active voice: make the doer in the by phrase the subject and keep the past tense. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 8th grade verbs, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Use a form of be plus a past participle, and name the doer in a by phrase if you need it. The tense lives in the form of be, so is built, was built, will be built and has been built are all passive. Form the Passive in Every Tense gives a chart of six tenses.

Keep it when the doer is unknown or does not matter, as in a lab method or a news story about a theft. Change it to active when the doer deserves credit or blame. Keep or Change the Passive Voice? asks students to decide for each purpose.

A sentence such as some prices were marked incorrectly never says who made the mistake. Passive Voice That Hides Responsibility gives the doer in parentheses, and students rewrite the sentence in active voice and explain how the change affects the reader.

The modal comes first, then be, then a past participle, as in must be returned. In active voice the doer moves to the front and the modal stays, so borrowers must place overdue books in the return bin.