Virginia SOL 11.LU.1.C
The Standard
Differentiate and apply active and passive voice to convey a desired effect in speaking and writing.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Grammar
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify whether the subject performs or receives the action. They use active or passive voice on purpose to control emphasis, tone, and responsibility.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students correctly identify who performs and receives the action in a sentence. They choose active or passive voice based on what they want to emphasize, then explain that choice.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think passive voice is always wrong or that any sentence using a form of “be” is passive. They may also choose passive voice without considering whether the actor should be named.
How to Assess It
- Give students: “The committee rejected the proposal.” Ask them to rewrite it in passive voice and explain which version better emphasizes the proposal.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips labeled actor, verb, and receiver, then have them rearrange each sentence from active to passive voice.
Ask students to compare two news headlines written in different voices and explain how each version directs attention or affects responsibility.
Play Voice Switch: teams rewrite active sentences as passive, then passive sentences as active, earning points for accuracy and preserved meaning.
Have students revise a school announcement, lab report, or incident report using the voice that best fits its purpose.
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Printable 11.LU.1.C Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 10.LU.1.C
Recognize and use active and passive voice to convey a desired effect in speaking and writing.
- 7.LU.1.C
Use specific adjectives and adverbs to enhance speech and writing.
- 9.LU.1.C
Use and apply the active and passive voice as appropriate when speaking and writing.
- 7.W.2.A.v
Developing voice and tone by using language that provides vivid and precise vocabulary to enhance the meaning of the writing.
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