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8-5-R-2

Page history last edited by Tammy Sparkman 5 years, 6 months ago

 

Standard 5: Language

Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to reading and writing.

 

READING: Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to analyze and evaluate a variety of texts.

8.5.R.2 Students will recognize the use of active and passive voice.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

  • Students will identify the use of active voice.

    • The subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.

    • Example: I throw the ball.

  • Students will identify the use of the passive voice.

    • Someone or something that is being acted upon.  

    • Example: The ball is thrown by me.

  • Students turn passive voice example text to active voice and discuss the difference between the text.

     

 

  • Teachers explain active voice is the subject that performs the action, while in passive voice the subject receives the action.

    • Active: The student measures the chemicals.

    • Passive: The chemicals were measured by the students.

  • Teachers provide opportunities for students to identify active and passive voice in grade level text.

  • Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback when recognizing the active and passive voice in the text.

  • Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice recognizing the active voice, the noun or pronoun performs the action in the text. (i.e., I throw the ball.)

  • Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice recognizing the passive voice, the action is more important than the noun performing the action. (i.e., The ball is thrown to me.)

  • Teachers instruct students that most writing is clearer in active voice than passive voice.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights  

 

 

  • Active Voice: In a sentence using the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb.

    • The dog bit the boy.

  • Passive Voice: In a sentence using the passive voice, the object or goal of the action functions as the sentence subject and the main verb phrase includes the verb to be and the past participle.

    • The boy was bitten by the dog.

  • The main difference between active voice and passive voice is which part of the sentence is most important.

    • In active voice, the noun/pronoun performing the action is the most important, therefore coming first in the sentence.

      • The student measures the chemicals.

      • Our company made some mistakes.

    • In passive voice, the noun/ pronoun the action is being done to is more important than the noun performing the action, which is sometimes not listed.

      • The chemicals were measured by the student.

      • Mistakes were made.

  • While it is true that for most cases, active voice is recommended, there are some instances writers should use passive voice. Such as:

    • The “actor” is unknown: The painting was stolen.

    • The “actor” is irrelevant: The thief was discovered. (We don’t really care who discovered him.)

    • The writer wants to be intentionally vague about the actor: Mistakes were made. (Politicians are masters at this.)

    • Occasionally, a writer may want to emphasize the object being acted on over the actor:  The Mona Lisa was damaged.

    •  Scientific writing favors passive voice: The sodium chloride was dissolved in the water 

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.

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Back to 8th Grade Introduction

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