E10 G - Active or passive – Choose the focus
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E10 G - Active or passive – Choose the focus
Mini-description: Decide in simple texts whether the actor or the action/result should be in focus. Then choose active or passive and explain the effect.
Level: English as first foreign language, Year 10, G-mode, Baden-Württemberg. English comes first. German is used only for short support, not as a full translation.
Start with a picture: Who or what is important?
Look at the picture. Do not start with a grammar rule. Start with meaning.
A: The workers pass the bricks.
B: The bricks are passed from worker to worker.
Both sentences can describe the same situation. Sentence A puts the actor in focus. Sentence B puts the action and the thing affected in focus.
Think: Which sentence fits a report about the workers? Which sentence fits a text about the building process?
I can ...
- I can understand the main idea of short active and passive sentences.
- I can decide whether the actor or the action/result is more important.
- I can form simple present and simple past passives with be + past participle.
- I can explain the effect with a short reason: I choose active/passive because ...
- I can revise a short text and correct common passive mistakes.
- I can transfer the choice of focus to reports, emails and short factual texts.
What you already know
Check yourself.
- Can you find the subject and verb in: The class collects old phones?
- Do you know the past participles collected, made, built, written?
- Can you use is/are and was/were correctly?
- Can you ask: Who does it? and What happens to it?
Help: If one point is difficult, use the support boxes below. You do not need to master every form before you start.
Understand
The key idea: choose the focus
In an active sentence, the actor is usually the subject.
The Eco Team collects bottles.
In a passive sentence, the person or thing affected becomes the subject.
Bottles are collected.
Use the passive when the actor is unknown, not important, obvious from the context, or not your main focus. A by phrase is possible when the actor matters:
The posters were designed by the media team.
English passive forms normally use a form of be plus a past participle. Keep the time: present stays present, past stays past.
| Meaning | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| routine now | The team cleans the room. | The room is cleaned. |
| finished event in the past | The team cleaned the room. | The room was cleaned. |
| plural | The team repairs the bikes. | The bikes are repaired. |
| plural in the past | The team repaired the bikes. | The bikes were repaired. |
Accuracy step 1: choose the focus. Accuracy step 2: choose the correct form of be. Accuracy step 3: use the past participle. Accuracy step 4: add by + actor only when it helps the reader.
Media input: active and passive in six minutes
Watch first for the big idea. Do not stop for every unknown word.
First viewing – understand: What is the difference between active and passive?
Second viewing – notice: Listen for examples with be + past participle. Pause and repeat one short example if useful.
Third viewing – optional: Check whether the actor is named or left out.
Respond
Quick choice: actor or action/result?
Choose the better focus. Give one short reason.
- A school club plants ten trees. You write a profile about the club. → actor focus
- Ten trees are planted near the sports field. You write a report about the result. → action/result focus
- A technician repairs the school printer. The text is about the technician's job. → actor focus
- The school printer is repaired before the exam week. The message is about the printer. → action/result focus
Sentence frames: I choose active because the actor is important. I choose passive because the result is important. The actor is not known / not important here.
Picture task: science
Write two possible captions:
Actor focus: The students test the samples.
Result focus: The samples are tested in the lab.
Now change one detail. Keep the sentence short.
Analyse
Reading: same event, different focus
Text A – actor focus
The Riverside Eco Team organised a clean-up on Friday. The students collected bottles and paper. They sorted the material after school. The team sent the results to the school office.
Text B – action/result focus
A clean-up was organised on Friday. Bottles and paper were collected and sorted after school. The results were sent to the school office.
Riverside Eco Team is fictional.
Answer in English:
- Who is in focus in Text A?
- What is in focus in Text B?
- Which text sounds more like a short process/report style?
- Where does Text B leave out the actor?
- Does the basic event change, or mainly the perspective?
Key idea: Voice changes the perspective and information focus. It does not automatically change the basic event.
Context vocabulary
| Word | Simple English meaning | Quick help |
|---|---|---|
| actor | the person or group that does something | Who does it? |
| action | what happens or what somebody does | What happens? |
| result | what exists after an action | What is the outcome? |
| focus | the information you want the reader to notice | What matters most? |
| process | a series of actions | How is it done? |
| report | a factual text about an event or result | clear information |
| past participle | the verb form used after be in a passive | cleaned, made, built, written |
Common mistakes – and how to repair them
| Problem | Not yet | Better | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| missing be | The room cleaned every day. | The room is cleaned every day. | Do I have be? |
| wrong verb form | The bikes are repair every Friday. | The bikes are repaired every Friday. | Past participle? |
| wrong time | Yesterday the result is checked. | Yesterday the result was checked. | Present or past? |
| unnecessary actor | The door was opened by someone. | The door was opened. | Is the actor useful? |
| focus mismatch | The poster was designed by Mia. Her creativity is the topic. | Mia designed the poster. | Is the actor the main point? |
Feedback code: F = focus, B = form of be, PP = past participle, T = time. Correct one code at a time.
Listening and viewing: short recap
Listen 1: Write only two key words you understand.
Listen 2: Complete the idea in your own words: We often use the passive when ...
Listen 3, optional: Note one passive form. Do not copy a whole transcript.
Optional longer support video
Use this only if you want more examples and more time to review.
Viewing strategy: watch a short section, pause, say the main idea, then continue. You do not need to reproduce all structures from the video.
Reading in context: how things are made and reported
Compare:
Workers print the newspapers at night. → the workers matter.
The newspapers are printed at night. → the process/product matters.
A passive sentence can be useful in instructions, reports, science and production texts because the process or result may be more important than the actor. But active voice is often clearer when the actor matters.
Media response: After watching a short part, write one active and one passive sentence about what you see. Use only information visible in the clip.
Communicate
Pronunciation: clear English, not accent-free English
Your goal is understandable speech. You do not need to sound like one specific accent.
Practise these chunks slowly, then at a natural speed:
is cleaned – are tested – was built – were written – is made
Notice the small word be and make the past participle clear. If you repeat audio, copy the rhythm and word stress, not a person's identity or accent.
Optional private practice: You may record yourself for your own learning, listen once, and delete the recording. No upload is needed.
Speaking: explain your choice
Work with a partner or speak quietly to yourself.
Choose active or passive for each situation and explain why:
- a short news item about what a student group achieved
- a process description about how paper is recycled
- a report about a damaged window when the actor is unknown
- a profile of a fictional trainee who built a model
Useful phrases:
I would use active because ... I would use passive because ... The actor is important here. The action/result is more important. Who did it? Do we know the actor?
If you do not understand your partner, ask: Can you say that again, please? or Do you mean the actor or the result?
Writing: a short school report
Write 70–90 words about a fictional school project. Use:
- at least two active sentences
- at least two passive sentences
- one sentence that explains a result
Suggested structure:
Title → What happened? → Who acted? → What was done? → Result
Before you finish, check:
F: Is my focus clear? B: Is the form of be correct? PP: Is the past participle correct? T: Is the time correct?
Keep your own wording. Revise the text instead of replacing it with a completely new one.
Mediation – meaning, not full translation
A German school notice says:
Am Freitag wurde die Fahrradwerkstatt geöffnet. Zwei defekte Schulräder wurden repariert. Die Technikgruppe dokumentierte die Arbeit.
Tell an English-speaking visitor the important information in 2–3 English sentences. Do not translate word for word. Decide where active or passive gives the clearest focus.
Feedback
Two-step feedback
Step 1 – meaning: Can the reader see what is in focus?
Step 2 – accuracy: Check be + past participle and the tense.
Example:
Yesterday the posters are print. → T: yesterday = past → B + PP: The posters were printed yesterday.
Then ask: Is passive really the best choice? If the designer is the topic, write an active sentence instead.
Revise
Safe and fair use of media and AI
- Use only fictional profiles, reports and applications in this course.
- Recordings are voluntary and can stay private. Do not upload recordings or personal data unless your teacher has clearly asked for a safe school workflow.
- No external AI tool is needed for this course.
- If an AI tool is allowed in your learning setting, check its claims and sources. Keep your own text visible and revise it yourself.
- Do not copy a generated text as if it were your own work.
- Describe people and places from evidence. Do not use cultural stereotypes.
- For images and video, use the embedded Wikimedia Commons and source-linked YouTube media.
Revision task
Take your 70–90 word report and revise it in this order:
- underline the sentence whose focus is most important
- check whether active or passive supports that focus
- check B, PP and T
- read the final text aloud once for clarity
Keep the first version so you can see what you improved.
Transfer
Where does focus matter?
A history caption may focus on workers: Workers assembled parts on the line.
A process description may focus on production: Parts were assembled on a moving line.
The same choice appears in school reports, science notes, news texts and workplace communication. Ask first: What should my reader notice?
Four useful text types
| Text type | Useful focus choice | Mini-task |
|---|---|---|
| structured email | name the actor when responsibility is important | Write a two-sentence update. |
| short report | use passive when process or result matters | Report what was completed. |
| opinion | choose the voice that supports your point clearly | Give one reason for your choice. |
| simple fictional application | active often helps show what the fictional applicant did | Write two sentences for a fictional profile only. |
Presentation option: Present one choice in 30–45 seconds. Give the sentence, name the focus and explain why. A recording is not required.
Can-do check
Mark one box for each statement.
| I can ... | not yet | with help | on my own |
|---|---|---|---|
| identify active and passive in short texts | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| choose actor focus or action/result focus | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| form present passive with is/are + past participle | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| form past passive with was/were + past participle | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| explain the effect of my choice | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| revise a focus or form error | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Next step: If you have two or more not yet boxes, repeat the BBC recap and the feedback table. If most boxes are on my own, move to the follow-up course.
Follow-up course
Continue with E10 G - Passive forms in reports and tenses. There you can extend the same focus decision to longer reports and more verb forms.
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which sentence puts the actor in focus? (The media team designed the poster.) (!The poster was designed yesterday.) (!The poster was printed in the office.) (!The result was shared online.)
Which sentence puts the result in focus? (The bikes were repaired before Friday.) (!The technicians repaired the bikes.) (!The class checked the bikes.) (!The teacher thanked the technicians.)
What is the basic form of a simple English passive? (be plus past participle) (!have plus infinitive) (!do plus adjective) (!be plus present participle)
Which sentence is a correct present simple passive? (The room is cleaned every day.) (!The room cleaned every day.) (!The room is clean every day by.) (!The room was clean every day.)
Which sentence is a correct past simple passive? (The samples were tested yesterday.) (!The samples are tested yesterday.) (!The samples were test yesterday.) (!The samples tested yesterday.)
When is a passive especially useful? (When the action or result is more important than the actor.) (!When every sentence must sound longer.) (!When the actor must always be named.) (!When no past participle is known.)
Why can the by phrase be left out? (Because the actor can be unknown or unimportant.) (!Because passive sentences never allow an actor.) (!Because by is only used in questions.) (!Because the verb must be active.)
Which correction is best for Yesterday the result is checked? (Yesterday the result was checked.) (!Yesterday the result check.) (!Yesterday the result are checked.) (!Yesterday the result was check.)
A profile is mainly about a fictional trainee and their work. Which choice often fits best? (Active voice because the actor is important.) (!Passive voice because actors must be hidden.) (!Passive voice because active is informal.) (!Active voice because past participles are forbidden.)
What should you decide before changing active to passive? (What information should be in focus.) (!How to make the sentence longer.) (!How many by phrases you can add.) (!How to remove every actor.)
Memory
| Active voice | actor in focus |
| Passive voice | action or result in focus |
| is repaired | present simple passive |
| was tested | past simple passive |
| by the team | named actor |
| past participle | repaired written made |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| Actor focus | Active voice |
| Action or result focus | Passive voice |
| is cleaned | Present passive |
| was built | Past passive |
| by the class | Named actor |
Kreuzworträtsel
| Active | Which voice usually puts the doer in focus? |
| Passive | Which voice can put the action or result in focus? |
| Actor | What do we call the person or group that does the action? |
| Result | What word names the outcome of an action? |
| Participle | Which verb form is used after be in the passive? |
| Focus | What word means the information the reader should notice most? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Caption pair: Choose one Commons picture in this course. Write one short active caption and one short passive caption.
- Focus cards: Make four cards with situations. On the back write actor focus or action/result focus and one reason.
- Verb bank: Build a personal list of 12 useful verbs with base form and past participle. Mark irregular forms.
- Mini explanation: Explain two choices with I choose ... because .... Recording is optional and private.
Standard
- Report detective: Find five active or passive sentences in a school-safe factual text and explain the focus of each.
- School news: Write a fictional 80-word school news item and use active and passive where each one fits the focus.
- Error clinic: Create six short sentences with typical F, B, PP or T errors. Exchange them with a partner and correct them.
- Meaning bridge: Summarise a short German school notice in English without translating every sentence. Choose voice by focus.
Schwer
- Two versions: Write two short versions of the same event, one actor-focused and one result-focused. Compare the effect.
- Media commentary: Use one embedded Commons image or video and explain how two different captions guide attention differently.
- Process report: Write a fictional process report of 100–120 words. Use passive only where the process/result matters and active where the actor matters.
- Revision conference: Revise your own report after peer feedback. Highlight one focus change and two grammar corrections and explain why you made them.
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Lernkontrolle
- Choice in context: You receive four short situations. Choose active or passive for each and justify the focus in one sentence.
- Compare effects: Compare two versions of the same short report. Explain how the choice of voice changes what the reader notices.
- Repair with reason: Correct a short text with three passive errors. For every correction, name the check you used: B, PP or T.
- Purposeful writing: Write a 70–90 word factual text in which active and passive are both used for a clear reason.
- New context: Change a short actor-focused process description into a result-focused version without changing the basic events.
- Revision note: After feedback, revise your text and add three short notes explaining what you changed and why.
Lernnachweis
For a successful learning record, show that you can:
- identify actor focus and action/result focus
- recognise active and passive in short, clear texts
- form present and past passives with the correct form of be and a past participle
- decide whether a by phrase is useful
- explain the effect of active/passive choice in simple English
- revise your own text after feedback
- transfer the choice of voice to a new report, email or process context
The learning record should use your own wording. Personal recordings are not required.
OERs zum Thema
Checked learning sources:
- Englisch als erste Fremdsprache – Gemeinsamer Bildungsplan Sekundarstufe I, Baden-Württemberg
- English passive voice – Wikipedia
- Wikimedia Commons – Grammar Passive Voice
- BBC Learning English – active and passive voice
- BBC Learning English – passive voice recap
- Oxford Online English – passive voice
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