teacher will give homework change the voice

Active-Passive Voice Converter

Boost your SEO and communicate more clearly by switching between active and passive voices seamlessly. Enhances readability and improve quality in a matter of seconds.

Instructions

1. Enter the existing text in the designated area.

2. Choose the desired output: active or passive voice.

3. [Optional] Select output length from the drop-down menu.

4. Click "Change Voice"

5. Paste the generated copy into a document or rewrite your copy using our paraphrasing tool.

💡Pro Tip: Break down complex sentences into simpler ones before converting voice.

What is Active and Passive Voice?

Active and passive voice are two different ways of constructing a sentence. The active voice focuses on the subject of the sentence, who is taking direct action. It provides clear, straightforward sentences where the agent of action is easily identifiable, making it a favored choice in most writing styles.

The passive voice shifts the focal point to the recipient of the action. The subject becomes secondary to the action itself, thus presenting a more impartial narrative. It is extensively used in scientific and formal writing where the primary focus is the action, not the doer.

How to Identify Active and Passive Voice?

Active Voice: In active voice, the subject performs the action. It's direct and concise.

Example: "The chef (subject) prepared (action) a delicious meal."

Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject receives the action. It's indirect and often used when the doer of the action is less important.

Example: "A delicious meal (subject) was prepared (action) by the chef."

Advanced Tip: To identify passive voice, look for forms of "to be" (e.g., was, were) followed by the past participle (e.g., prepared). In active voice, the subject acts on the object, making it easier to spot.

How to Convert Sentences From Active Voice to Passive Voice

Step 1: Identification of Subject, Object, and Verb

A sentence usually comprises the doer (subject), the action (verb), and the receiver (object). In "John reads a book," 'John' is the subject, 'reads' is the verb, and 'a book' is the object. Recognizing these essential components of a sentence is the first step to getting your transformations right.

Step 2: Reposition the Subject-Object Placement

You need to reverse the subject's and object's roles to convert an active voice sentence to passive voice. That means the object becomes the sentence's new subject, and the subject becomes a part of the sentence after the verb.

Taking the same example, the sentence changes to "The book is read by John."

Step 3: Alter Verb Form

The verb in a passive voice sentence typically involves a form of 'be' (is, am, are, was, were) followed by a past participle. So, 'reads' in active voice changes to 'is read' in passive voice.

Step 4: Include Preposition

When the original subject is included in the passive sentence, it is usually introduced by a preposition like 'by'. For example, 'by John' in our previous illustration. However, if the focus of your sentence is the action rather than the doer, you can omit this prepositional phrase.

To recap, the original sentence "John reads a book." is coverted to "The book is read by John" in passive voice.

When to Use A Sentence Voice Changer?

Use passive to active voice sentence converter when:.

1. You want to emphasize the action itself rather than the doer.

2. The doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

3. Keeping the focus consistent throughout a series of sentences.

4. Avoid putting responsibility on a specific person or group.

5. To sound objective, scientific, technical, or logical.

Passive to Active Voice Example

Passive Voice: "The cake was baked by John."

Active Voice: "John baked the cake."

In the passive voice sentence, the subject (the cake) is acted upon by the verb. The primary attention is on the action done to the subject. In the active voice sentence, the subject (John) is performing the action of the verb. The primary attention shifts to who is doing the action.

Use Active to Passive Voice Sentence Converter When:

1. You want to emphasize the doer of the action.

2. Writing clear and concise instructions.

3. Avoiding ambiguity.

4. Writing non-scientific content.

Active to Passive Voice Example

Active Voice: "John ate the apple."

Passive Voice: "The apple was eaten by John."

In the active voice sentence, the subject (John) is the one doing the action (eating). In the passive voice sentence, the subject (The apple) is the one being acted upon, and the actor (John) is mentioned at the end of the sentence.

Who Benefits From Converting Sentence Voice?

Converting sentences between active and passive voice benefits a wide array of individuals.

1. Writers, editors, linguists, and students studying language or literature can enhance their craft and comprehension.

2. Professionals in marketing or PR sectors can critically analyze text, heightening their ability to produce persuasive content.

3. SEO specialists can optimize content, making it more engaging and search-engine friendly.

How to Make the Most of Active Passive Sentence Voice Changer?

Start by understanding the power of structure in your sentence. Don't merely convert your text; use this tool as an opportunity to refine your content, enriching your writing with diversity in sentence formation.

Apply variety by alternating between active and passive voices, enhancing your writing style and engaging your readers more effectively. Modify the sentence length according to your document needs, whether brief sentences for a swift read or lengthy, descriptive ones for detailed insights.

Convert Sentence Voice & More With Content AI!

You already know how to use our free sentence voice converter tool. But with Content AI, you can do so much more.

Our powerful tool is designed to help you generate and optimize quality copy that ranks high on SERP. Perform keyword research, gain competitor insights, and the projected scoring to streamline your content production process.

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Sentence Voice Changer FAQs

Is an ai sentence voice converter reliable.

Our AI sentence voice converter is highly reliable, guaranteeing consistent and accurate results for your writing needs. The tool is trained on massive datasets of text and code, which allows them to accurately identify and convert sentences between active and passive voice.

Is the copy generated plagiarism-free?

The content produced by our sentence voice converter tool is entirely plagiarism-free, ensuring your originality and peace of mind. It uses a variety of techniques to ensure that the output is unique.

Should you use active voice or passive voice in SEO & content marketing?

You should predominantly use active voice in SEO and content marketing as it makes your writing clearer, more direct, and easier to understand. However, passive voice can be used sparingly for variation or when the focus is on the action rather than the actor.

Learn more about SEO & Content Marketing

Content optimization guide.

Learn how to optimize content like landing pages, B2B blogs, buying guides, and e-commerce websites.

Read Now >

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Learn how Google's RankBrain affects your SEO strategy.

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• English Grammar

How to Change a Sentence from Active Voice to Passive Voice

Last Updated: March 31, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins . Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 511,312 times.

Switching voice is an important skill to possess when writing in any context, including academically, professionally, or personally. Changing a sentence from active to passive voice does not change the meaning of the statement, but it does switch the emphasis from the subject (the person doing the action) to the direct object (the thing that receives the action). To change a sentence to passive voice, you’ll first need to identify the tense that the sentence is written in, as it’s necessary to keep the correct tense when switching from active to passive voice. Second, identify the sentence’s subject, verb, and direct object. Finally, change the format so that the sentence begins with the direct object and ends with the subject.

Identifying the Tense of the Sentence

• Simple present tense combines a subject + verb. For example: “He writes.”
• Present continues tense combines a subject + being verb (am, is , are) + verb1 + ing. For Example: “He is writing.”
• Present perfect tense combines a subject + have/has + verb. For example: “He has written.”
• Present perfect continuous tense combines subject + has/have + been + verb + ing. Example: “He has been writing.”

• Simple past tense combines a subject + verb in the sentence. For example: “He wrote.”
• Past perfect tense combines the subject + had + verb. For example: “He had written.”
• Past continuous tense combines a subject + being verb (was, were) + verb + ing. For example: “He was writing.”
• Past perfect continuous tense combines subject + had + been + verb + ing. For example: “He had been writing.”

• Simple future tense combines a subject + “will” + verb. For example, “He will write.”
• Future perfect tense combines the subject + “will have” + verb. For example, “He will have written.”
• Future continuous tense combines a subject + “will” + being verb + verb. For example, “He will be writing.”
• Future perfect continuous tense combines the subject + “have been” + verb + “ing.” For example, “He will have been writing.”

Converting the Sentence

• For example, the sentence “He will write a letter” is in the future tense and active voice.
• To change this to passive voice, move the direct object to the beginning of the sentence, while keeping the future tense: “A letter will be written by him.”

• Depending on the tense of the sentence, being verbs include: “is,” “was,” “will be,” “has been,” etc.

• In cases where the subject (one who does the action) is unknown, you may not be able to add the word “by.”
• For example, if you have received a letter but do not know who sent it, you would write, “The letter was sent to me on November 1st,” but you would not say by whom it was sent.

• Active voice, present tense: The cat kills the mice.
• Passive voice, present tense: The mice are killed by the cat.
• Active voice, past continuous tense: Some boys were helping the wounded men.
• Passive voice, past continuous tense: Wounded men were being helped by some boys.
• Active voice, future perfect tense: Someone will have stolen my purse.
• Active voice, future perfect tense: My purse will have been stolen by someone.

Knowing When to Use the Passive Voice

• Be careful when removing emphasis from the subject of a sentence, as in some cases it can be seen as confusing to the reader. Passive voice can also remove the subject of a sentence altogether.
• For example, a politician who says, “I have lied to the American people” may be seen as repentant and forthcoming. If the individual were to say “The American people have been lied to,” they politician would be removing any blame from themselves by phrasing the sentence in the passive voice and removing the subject.

• For example, the sentence “American nuclear devices were first tested in July 1945” places the emphasis on the nuclear testing and leaves the specific researchers anonymous.

• For example, instead of writing “My team placed seven stream gages in the river,” you would write, “Seven stream gages were placed in the river.”
• Here the passive voice lends anonymity to the action: anyone can replicate the experiment by repeating the same procedures. By using the passive voice, you’re arguing that the results can be replicated regardless of which scientists perform the actions.

Practice Sentenes and Answers

Expert Q&A

• Passive voice is also commonly used in sayings or maxims that are supposedly applicable to everyone. A saying like “rules are made to be broken” must be in the passive voice, since there is no specific subject breaking a rule in the sentence. Thanks Helpful 25 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/present-tense
• ↑ https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/past-tense
• ↑ https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/future-tense-verbs/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/active_and_passive_voice/active_versus_passive_voice.html
• ↑ Richard Perkins. Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator. Expert Interview. 1 September 2021.
• ↑ https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm
• ↑ http://www.lingolex.com/tensexp.htm
• ↑ http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-active-and-passive-voice.html
• ↑ https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/repository/files/grammar-and-mechanics/verb-system/Active-and-Passive-Voice.pdf
• ↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/style-and-editing/passive-voice

About This Article

To change a sentence from active to passive voice, start by moving the object to the beginning of the sentence. Then, add the auxiliary verb “be” prior to the main verb, which will emphasize how the object is acted on. For example, if the original sentence is “He will write the letter,” you should make it “A letter will be written by him.” Take care to keep the same tense when you switch a sentence from active to passive voice. If the original sentence is “The cat kills the mice,” the correct passive voice would be “The mice are killed by the cat,” not “The mice were being killed by the cat.” For tips on when it’s OK to use the passive voice and when to avoid it, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Changing Passive to Active Voice

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If you want to change a passive-voice sentence to active voice, find the agent in a "by the..." phrase, or consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb. Make that agent the subject of the sentence, and change the verb accordingly. Sometimes you will need to infer the agent from the surrounding sentences which provide context.

If you want to change an active-voice sentence to passive voice, consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb, and then make that agent the object of a by the... phrase. Make what is acted upon the subject of the sentence, and change the verb to a form of be + past participle. Including an explicit by the... phrase is optional.

This passive voice contains a by the... phrase. Removing the by the... phrase and reworking the sentence will give it the active voice.

Image Caption: Making "most of the class" the subject of the sentence moves the action of the sentence onto the class, and shifts the sentence from passive into active voice.

The agent is not explicitly stated, but it is most likely researchers. Making the agent the subject of the sentence will allow you to use the active voice.

This sentence now uses the active voice because the agent (the researchers) are now performing the action as the sentence subject.

The CIA director and his close advisors are the agent of change in this sentence, but they are not the subject. Making the agent the subject will transform the sentence into a more concise, active voice phrase.

This sentence now uses the active voice because the agent (the CIA director and his close advisors) is performing the action as the sentence subject.

The agent is not specified in this sentence.

This sentence now uses the active voice because the agent (we) is the subject of the sentence.

This active voice sentence's agent is the presiding officer, which is the subject.

Changing the sentence subject from the agent (the presiding officer) to the object of the verb (the committee's recommendation) and adding a by the...phrase transforms the sentence into the passive voice.

This sentence includes the agent (the leaders) as the subject performing the action of the verb.

This sentence now uses the passive voice because the subject has been changed from the agent (the leaders) to the object of the verb (a fair resolution).

The scientists are the agent performing the verb's action in this active voice sentence.

This passive voice sentence no longer specifies the agent (scientists) and now uses the passive voice because the verb's object (traces of ice) is now the subject.

Homework: Passive Voice

So, did you steal your bike, or was your bike stolen? Will you take out your tonsils, or will your tonsils be taken out? Mastering the Passive Voice is a crucial rite of passage for any English learner, as it can change the meaning of a sentence entirely. However, as this versatile voice can be used with any grammar tense, this is often much more easily said than done, as no sooner have students established just when to use it than along comes the more daunting challenge of actually using it correctly. This homework sheet enables students to practise using the Passive Voice through a range of progressively challenging exercises.

After downloading your PDF: print it immediately or save and print later. Answers are provided for teachers on the second page.

Make your own worksheets with the free EnglishClub Worksheet Maker !

• Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice — Mixed tenses — Exercise 6
• 1. The teacher will return your workbooks on Monday. Your workbooks will be returned on Monday
• 2. He is writing a book. A book is being written by him
• 3. We have sold the tickets. The tickets have been sold by us
• 4. They painted the walls last year. The walls were painted last year
• 5. Workers are building a new mall. A new mall is being built by workers
• 6. I will watch the news. The news will be watched by me
• 7. Tim has downloaded the movie. The movie has been downloaded by Tim
• 8. She is cleaning the room. The room is being cleaned by her
• 9. I gave the dictionary to Kelly. Kelly was given a dictionary
• 10. They are making a new metro line. A new metro line is being made by them
• Finish the sentence in Passive — Mixed Exercise
• Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice — Mixed tenses — Exercise 1
• Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice — Mixed tenses — Exercise 2
• Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice — Mixed tenses — Exercise 3
• Rewrite the sentences using Passive voice — Mixed tenses — Exercise 4

Voice Change Class 9 Exercises With Answers

Enhance your command of English grammar with these comprehensive Voice Change Class 9 exercises with answers.

In this article, we will explore a series of Voice Change Class 9 exercises with answers. By practicing these exercises, students can enhance their language proficiency, communication skills, and grammatical understanding.

Change the Voice Sentences Class 9 is an instruction given to change the sentence from active to passive or passive to active. 

Voice Change for Class 9

She is writing a letter. – Active voice

When the subject ( here she) is active i.e. the subject( she) is working ( here writing), the sentence will be in the  Active voice.

A letter is being written by her. – Passive Voice

When the subject ( here a letter) is in passive mode i.e. the subject is not doing anything; still used as a subject, the sentence will be in  the passive voice.

The Rules to change the voice for Class 9

Explore the rules on how to Change the Voice Sentences in Class 9.

(a)  Active sentence object becomes passive sentence subject.

(b)  According to tense and Form of verb in active sentence ‘Be’ or ‘ Have’ verb will be used after the subject in passive sentence.

(c)  Always past participle form or 3 rd  form of the Main verb is used.

(d)  Generally, in most cases preposition ‘by’ is used.

(e)  Active sentence Subject becomes Passive sentence object.

Changes of ‘Be’ or ‘Have’ verb in Change the voice

Change of pronouns in change the voice .

People also ask

Voice change exercises are an integral part of English grammar, especially for students in Class 9. Mastering the skill of changing the voice from active to passive (or vice versa) is crucial for enhancing writing and communication skills.

Active to Passive Voice Conversion

Active voice emphasizes the subject performing the action, while passive voice emphasizes the action itself. Practice converting sentences from active to passive voice with the following exercises:

Exercise – 1

Change the voice of the following sentences..

Active :   They have won the football match.

Passive :   The football match has been won by them.

Active :   Our teacher will deliver a lecture tomorrow.

Passive :   a lecture will be delivered tomorrow by our teacher.

Active :   Take care of him.

Passive :   Let him be taken care of.

Active :   The poem was written by her.

Passive :   She wrote the poem.

Active :   You have kept the rule.

Passive :   The rule has been kept by you.

Active :   The police caught the thief.

Passive :   The thief was caught by the police.

Exercise – 2

Change the sentence into passive voice..

Active :   Were the boys playing football?

Passive :  Was football being played by the boys?

Active :   He had seen a gang of pirates.

Passive :   A gang of pirates had been seen by him.

Active :   Raju’s leave has been sanctioned by the office authority.

Passive :   The office authority has sanctioned Raju’s leave.

Active :   My brother lost my favourite pen.

Passive :   My favourite pen was lost by my brother.

Active :   They gave each of the participants a handsome price.

Passive :   A handsome price was given each of the participants by them.

Active :   Let me do it.

Passive :  Let it be done by me.

Exercise – 3

Voice change active to passive.

Active :   He has kept me waiting here.

Passive :   I have been kept waiting here by him.

Active :   Summon the fire brigade.

Passive :   You are ordered to summon the fire brigade.

Active :   He is inviting each of his friends.

Passive :   Each of his friends are being invited by him.

Active :   Who wrote the essay?

Passive :   By whom was the essay written?

Active :   It is time to tell him the truth.

Passive :  it is time for him to be told the truth.

Active :   Tintin did not write this.

Passive :  This was not written by TinTin.

Exercise – 4

Change active voice to passive voice..

Active :   Who wants to die?

Passive :  Who wants to be died?

Active :   Who did the work?

Passive :   By whom was the work done?

Active :   She gave us fruits.

Passive :   We were given fruits by her.

Active :   Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs.

Passive :  You are told to replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs.

Active :   I saw him leaving the station.

Passive :   He was seen leaving the station by me.

Active :   They disturbed the passengers.

Passive :   The passengers were disturbed by them.

Exercise – 5  

Change the following sentence into passive voice..

Active :   Give us our fares back.

Passive :  you are asked to give us our fares back.

Active :   Tears filled her eyes.

Passive :  Her eyes were filled with tears.

Active :   ‘Malgudi Days’ was written by RK Narayan.

Passive :   RK Narayan wrote ‘Malgudi Days’.

Active :   The book is printing.

Passive :  The book is being printed.

Active :   The rose smells sweet.

Passive :   The Rose is sweet when it is smelt.

Active :   Send for the doctor.

Passive :  You are told to send for the doctor.

Exercise – 6

Change into passive voice.

Active :   What does he want?

Passive :  What is wanted by him?

Active :   Change the voice.

Passive :  Let the voice be changed.

Active :   I displeased him.

Passive :   He was displeased with me.

Active :   Promises should be kept.

Passive :  One should keep one’s promises.

Active :   It is now time to do your work.

Passive :  It is now time for your work to be done.

Active :   He kept me waiting.

Passive :  I was kept waiting by him.

Exercise – 7

Active :   She sees the sea.

Passive :  The sea is seen by her.

Active :   Zeena is eating a sweet green mango.

Passive :  A sweet green mango is being eaten by Zeena.

Active :   The juries made Sourabh the man of the series.

Passive :  Sourabh was made the man of the series by the juries.

Active :   So, places were changed by the miller and his son.

Passive :  So the Miller and his son changed the places.

Active :   The lady wants him post the letter.

Passive :  He is wanted post the letter by the Lady.

Active :   Have I read all the ‘Waverley novels’?

Passive :  Has all the Waverley nobles been read by me? 

Exercise – 8

Voice change exercise.

Active :   They made him the king.

Passive :  He was made the king by them.

Active :   Are you given a lot of homework in the school?

Passive :   Does the teacher give you a lot of homework in the school?

Active :   Mr. Dey teaches us English.

Passive :  We are taught English by Mr. Day.

Active :  Jute is mainly used for rough weaving.

Passive :  People use jute for mainly rough weaving.

Active :   All the kids learned the same thing.

Passive :   The same thing was learned by all the kids.

Active :   They chose him their leader.

Passive :   He was chosen their leader by them.

Exercise – 9

Rewrite the sentences in the passive.

Active :   Let me do my duty.

Passive :  Let my duty be done by me.

Active :   It is time to close the doors.

Passive :  It is time for the doors to be closed.

Active :   One should keep one’s promises.

Passive :   Promises should be kept.

Active :   We must endure that we cannot cure.

Passive :   What cannot be cured must be endured.

Active :   We can get nothing without labour.

Passive :   Nothing can be gained without labour.

Active :   I have been obliged to do this.

Passive :   Circumstances have obliged me to do this.

Exercise – 10

Change the voice..

Active :   I know that smoking will ruin his health.

Passive :  it is known to me that his health will be ruined by smoking.

Active :   I hope that she will sign in life.

Passive :   It is hoped that she will sign in life.

Active :   I am to complete the work before noon.

Passive :   The work is to be completed by me before noon.

Active :   Know yourself.

Passive :  Let you be known by yourself.

Active :   He called me a fool.

Passive :  I was called a fool by him.

Active :   She gave us no money.

Passive :  No money was given us by her.

Exercise – 11

Active :   Many housewives do not cook food.

Passive :   Food is not cooked by many housewives.

Active :   The teacher had punished the boys.

Passive :  The boys had been punished by the teacher.

Active :   His behaviour pleased me.

Passive :   I was pleased with his behaviour.

Active :   The students were making noise in the classroom.

Passive :   Noise was being made in the classroom by the students.

Active :   This book contains many interesting articles.

Passive :   Many interesting articles are contained in this book.

Active :   The parents look after their children.

Passive :  Their children are looked after by the parents.

Exercise – 12

Active :   Nobody can solve this problem.

Passive :  This problem can be solved by nobody.

Active :   They are reading interesting and educational stories.

Passive :  Interesting and educational stories are being read by them.

Active :   We should not break the rules.

Passive :   The rules should not be broken by us.

Active :   India defeated Australia in the final match.

Passive :  Australia was defeated in the final match by India.

Active :   Doctor Brown will give you some advice.

Passive :   You will be given some advice by Doctor Brown.

Active :   A famous designer will redecorate the hotel.

Passive :   The hotel will be redecorated by a famous designer.

Exercise – 13

Voice change active to passive

Active :   Steven Spielberg directed ‘ET’

Passive :   ‘ET’ was being directed by Steven Spielberg.

Active :   Someone has broken the crystal vase.

Passive :   The Crystal Vase has been broken.

Active :   His parents have brought him up to be polite.

Passive :  He has been brought up to be polite by his parents.

Active :   Shreya took all the keys with her.

Passive :   All the keys were taken with her by Shreya.

Active :   Indians were playing the match.

Passive :   The match was being played by Indians.

Active :   I was watching the match.

Passive :   The match was being watched by me.

Exercise – 14

Fill in the blanks by choosing the appropriate option.

1. Active :   The guests _________ by four masked men.

(a)  are held up  (b)  were held up  (c)  have held up

Ans :  (b) were held up

2. Active :   The visitors _________ by a guide during the tour of the museum.

(a)  is accompanied  (b)  accompanied  (c)  were accompanied

Ans :  (c) were accompanied

3. Active :   A party _________ by them to celebrate their victory.

(a)  had held  (b)  was held  (c)  was to hold

Ans :  (b) was held

4. Active :   These curtains and cushion covers _________ by my mother.

(a)  have sewn  (b)  had been sewn  (c)  is sewing

Ans :  (b)   had been sewn

5. Active :   A joke_________  seriously.

(a)  is not taken  (b)  is not to take  (c)  is not to be taken

Ans :  (c)   is not to be taken

6. Active :   These books _________  to us by the teacher.

(a)  were recommended  (b)  have recommended  (c)  was being recommended

Ans : (a)   were recommended

Exercise – 15

1. Active :   We _________ by him before so we no longer trust him.

(a)  have tricked  (b)  have been tricked  (c)  are being tricked

Ans :  (b) have been tricked

2. Active :   The case _________  by the police They may ask you to give a statement.

(a)  is handling  (b)  has been handled  (c)  is being handled

Ans :  (c) is being handled

3. Active :   We _________  by the dancers and musicians during the dinner time.

(a)  were entertained  (b)  had entertained  (c)  were entertaining

Ans :  (a) were entertained

4. Active :   Somehow, they_________   by the offer and did not consider the deal thoroughly.

(a)  had blinded  (b)  had been blinding  (c)  were blinded

Ans :  (c) were blinded

5. Active :   Every application _________  carefully by the selection committee.

(a)  were examined  (b)  was examined  (c)  is examined

Ans : (c) is examined

Exercise – 16

Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct option

1. Active :   I _________  by her fixed stare.

(a)  embarrassed  (b)  was embarrassed  (e)  was embarrassing

Ans :  (b) was embarrassed

2. Active :   Store owners_________  fixed prices.

(a)  are protesting  (b)  are being protesting  (c)  are protested

Ans :  (a) are protesting

3. Active :   Snow _________  in large flakes.

(a)  was fallen  (b)  was falling  (c)  was being falling

Ans :  (b) was falling

4. Active :   Butter _________  by churning cream.

(a)  is made  (b)  made  (c)  is making

Ans :  (a) is made

5. Active :   A new sonnet _________  by the poet.

(a)  was composed  (b)  composed  (c)  was composing

Ans : (a) was composed

Exercise – 17

Choose the correct answers from the given alternatives.

1. Active:  The ants are biting him.

(a)  He is being bitten by the ants.  (b)  He is being bit by the ants  (e)  He is bitten by the ants.

Ans :  (a) He is being bitten by the ants.

2.Active:  She rears ducks on the farm:

(a)  Ducks will be reared on the farm  (b)  Ducks are reared on the farm  (c)  Ducks is reared on the farm

Ans :  (b) Ducks are reared on the farm

3.Active:  Someone had sung the song before

(a)  The song had sung  (b)  The song had been sung before  (c)  The had been sang before

Ans :  (b) The song had been sung before

4.Active:  We should choose a monitor quickly.

(a)  A monitor should be chose quickly.  (b)  A monitor should be chosen quickly.  (c)  A monitor should quickly chosen.

Ans : (b) A monitor should be chosen quickly.

Exercise – 18

Fill in the blanks with correct passive forms of the verbs.

(1)  The letter _________ (post) a week ago and it _________  (arrive) yesterday.

(2)  The boat _________ (sink) quickly but fortunately everybody _________ (rescue).

(3)  Ranjan’s parents _________  (die) when he was very young. He and his sister _________ (bring) up by their grandparents.

(4)  I saw an accident last might. Somebody_________ (call) an ambulance but nobody (injure) so the ambulance _________  (need).

(5)  Where _________  these photographs _________ (take)? In London? _________ you _________ (take) them?

(1) was posted, arrived.

(2) sank, was rescued.

(3) died, were brought.

(4) called, was injured, was not needed.

(5) were, taken, did, take.

Exercise – 19

Fill in the blanks with correct passive forms of verbs.

 (1)  A new bridge _________ (build) across the river. Work started last year and the bridge _________ (expect) to open next year.

(2)  Yesterday the city _________ (hit) by a thunderstorm. Many tress _________ (uproot) and streets at several places _________ (flood), resulting in traffic jams.

(3)  If a long journey_________  (give) a good start, it is half covered. Weariness of the traveller _________ (defeat) by his enthusiasm and hope. He _________ (reward) with success.

(4)  At one time, the entire world _________  (rule) by dinosaurs. Some dinosaurs _________ (walk) on their hind legs and _________ (stand) as tall as palm trees.

(5)  She danced for two and half hours and when she finished the performance _________ (appreciate) by the audiences. That was her first performance after the traumatic accident and she _________ (turn) into one of the most sensational stars of the country. Since then, she _________ (invite) to perform all over the world. She is Sudha Chandran.

(1)   has been built, is expected.

(2)   was hit, were uprooted, were flooded.

(3)   is given, is defeated, is rewarded.

(4)   was ruled, walked, stood.

(5)   was appreciated, was turned, has been invited.

Passive to Active Voice Conversion

Converting sentences from passive to active voice can make them more direct and engaging. Try your hand at these exercises:

• The book was read by him.
• The painting was admired by everyone.
• The cake has been eaten by them.
• He read the book.
• Everyone admired the painting.
• They have eaten the cake.
• The movie was watched by the audience.
• The letter has been received by the recipient.
• The concert tickets were sold out.
• The audience watched the movie.
• The recipient has received the letter.
• The concert sold out the tickets.

FAQs on Voice Change Class 9

Q: how can i effectively practice voice change exercises.

A: To practice voice change exercises, start by understanding the basic concepts of active and passive voice. Then, work through various exercises, gradually moving from simple to complex sentences. Review the answers to evaluate your progress.

Q: What is the importance of learning voice change?

A: Learning voice change enhances your grasp of grammar and sentence structure. It allows you to communicate more effectively and adds depth to your writing and speaking skills.

Q: Can voice change alter the meaning of a sentence?

A: No, voice change should retain the original meaning of the sentence while altering its structure. The emphasis shifts from the doer of the action to the action itself.

Q: Are there any online resources for practicing voice change exercises?

A: Yes, several educational websites offer interactive exercises and quizzes to practice voice change. Additionally, grammar textbooks and workbooks are valuable resources.

Q: How can I identify passive voice in a sentence?

A: Passive voice is characterized by the presence of a form of the verb “to be” (e.g., is, was, were, has been) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The doer of the action often appears in the sentence using the preposition “by.”

Q: What is the role of modal verbs in voice change?

A: Modal verbs add nuances of possibility, necessity, permission, or ability to a sentence. When changing the voice of a sentence, modal verbs are modified to fit the new voice while retaining their intended meaning.

Mastering voice change exercises is a valuable skill that enhances your language proficiency and communication abilities. By practicing the Voice C hange Class 9 exercises with answers provided in this article, you can strengthen your understanding of sentence structures and grammatical concepts.

Related Posts:

Change the Voice

Change the following sentences into the passive voice.

1.    They elected him Chairman. 2.    The children laughed at the beggar. 3.    The guard caught the thief. 4.    The soldiers attacked the enemy barracks. 5.    The cat drank all the milk. 6.    The old man takes snuff. 7.    Somebody hit the dog with a stick. 8.    I will order the carriage. 9.    One may accomplish anything with a little effort. 10.    A thunderstorm often turns milk sour. 11.    The boy was climbing the cliff. 12.    Will you ever forget those happy days? 13.    All desire wealth and some acquire it. 14.    They laughed at his warnings. 15.    He made the child drink the milk.

1.    He was elected chairman (by them). 2.    The beggar was laughed at by the children. 3.    The thief was caught by the guard. 4.    The enemy barracks were attacked by the soldiers. 5.    All the milk was drunk by the cat. 6.    Snuff is taken by the old man. 7.    The dog was hit with a stick (by somebody). 8.    The carriage will be ordered (by me). 9.    With a little effort anything can be accomplished. 10.    Milk is often turned sour by a thunderstorm. 11.    The cliff was being climbed by the boy. 12.     Will those happy days ever be forgotten (by you)? 13.    Wealth is desired by all and acquired by some. 14.    His warnings were laughed at. 15.    The child was made to drink the milk. Notes: Note that the subject of the active verb is not always mentioned in the passive voice.

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Voice Change Exercises with Answers

The study of the verb’s relationship to its subject and object is known as the voice in English Grammar. A sentence can use active or passive voice .

In this post, we have added the top 100+ Voice Change Exercises with Answers.

Understanding Voice Change With Example

Daily Grammar Test - Attempt Now

Active voice: The chef cooked the food.

Passive Voice: The food was cooked by the chef.

In active voice sentences, “ the chef ” is the subject performing the action of cooking the food. In passive voice sentences, “ the food ” is the subject receiving the action of cooking, while “ chef ” is still referred to as the agent performing the action.

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #1

• The teacher graded the exams. (Active Voice)
• The chef cooked a delicious meal. (Active Voice)
• The doctor treated the patient. (Active Voice)
• The postman delivers the mail. (Active Voice)
• A new product was launched by the company. (Passive Voice)
• The cat was chased by the dog. (Passive Voice)
• A beautiful landscape was painted by the artist. (Passive Voice)
• A concert was performed by the singer. (Passive Voice)
• The construction workers built the skyscraper. (Active Voice)
• The gardener planted the flowers. (Active Voice)
• The exams were graded by the teacher. (Passive Voice)
• A delicious meal was cooked by the chef. (Passive Voice)
• The patient was treated by the doctor. (Passive Voice)
• The mail is delivered by the postman. (Passive Voice)
• The company launched a new product. (Active Voice)
• The dog chased the cat. (Active Voice)
• The artist painted a beautiful landscape. (Active Voice)
• The singer performed a concert. (Active Voice)
• The skyscraper was built by the construction workers. (Passive Voice)
• The flowers were planted by the gardener. (Passive Voice)

Also, Read Active Voice Examples

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #2

• I am not going to work today.
• He has been teaching English for ten years.
• When are you going to buy a car?
• Who taught you the active and passive sentences?
• She had cleaned the kitchen.
• We will have eaten dinner by the time you get there.
• People speak English in the USA.
• Would you rather learn English or French?
• You must not come late to class.
• She has to pass the test.
• Not change.
• English has been taught by him for ten years.
• When is a car going to be bought by you?
• By whom were you taught the active and passive sentences?
• The kitchen had been cleaned.
• Dinner will have been eaten by the time you get there.
• English is spoken in the USA.
• Would English or French rather be learned by you?
• You are ordered not to come late to class.
• The test has to be passed by her.

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #3

• She writes a letter.
• They go to school every day.
• He doesn`t paint the wall.
• Did the mechanic fix your bike?
• You should do your homework.
• Don`t talk so loudly.
• They are painting their house.
• We have drunk the Darjeeling tea.
• Will you watch TV tonight?
• A letter is written by her.
• Not Change.
• The wall isn’t painted by him.
• Was your bike fixed by the mechanic?
• Your homework should be done by you.
• Intransitive verb (talk)
• Their house is being painted.
• The Darjeeling tea has been drunk.
• Will TV be watched by you?

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #4

• The explosion had killed hundreds of people.
• I have never been to New York.
• I will have written a poem by the time you call me.
• The heavy storm damaged a lot of crops in Maharashtra .
• I was playing kabaddi yesterday.
• Could you help me, please?
• Who can answer my question?
• Will Olivia have been watering the garden?
• Lisa is helping me solve the voice change exercises.
• Hundreds of people had been killed by the explosion.
• A poem will have been written by me by the time you call me.
• A lot of crops were damaged by the heavy rain in Maharashtra.
• Kabaddi was being played yesterday by me.
• Could I be helped, please?
• By whom my answer can be answered?
• I am being helped by Lisa to solve the voice change exercises.

Also, Read Passive Voice Examples

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #5

• Who wrote this essay?
• Who will call him?
• Who painted this beautiful painting?
• Who invited you?
• Who can break Ronaldo’s record?
• Who has the principal honoured?
• Who has the police arrested?
• Who have the people elected?
• Who have the selectors selected?
• Who has she called?
• By whom was this essay written? 2. By whom will he be called? 3. By whom was this beautiful painting painted? 4. By whom are you invited? 5. By whom can Ronaldo’s record be broken? 6. Who has been honoured by the principal? 7. Who has been arrested by the police? 8. Who has been elected by the people? 9. Who has been selected by the selectors? 10. Who has been called by her?

You Asked, We Listened – List of All Grammar Topics Updated 😍😍

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #6

• Passive: The food is being prepared by the chef.
• Passive: The homework was assigned by the teacher.
• Passive: A brilliant product was released by the company.
• Passive: The suspect was arrested by the police.
• Passive: The surgery was performed by the doctor.
• Passive: A new book is being published by the writer.
• Passive: A new house is being built by the construction workers.
• Passive: A new program is being launched by the government.
• Passive: The contract was awarded to a new vendor by the company.

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #7

• Lisa sings lovely songs.
• We did not grow paddy.
• What do you want?
• They will run a race.
• Tom is building a house.
• I was writing a letter.
• Someone has stolen my watch.
• She had finished her work.
• People will admire him.
• Did no one help you?
• Lovely songs are sung by Lisa.
• Paddy was not grown by us.
• What is wanted by you?
• A race will be run by them.
• A house is being built by Tom.
• A letter was being written by me.
• My watch has been stolen. (by someone)
• Her work had been finished by her.
• He will be admired (by people).
• Were you not helped (by anyone)?

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #8

• I kept my promise.
• She spoke the truth.
• We did not tell a lie.
• She kept me waiting.
• He offered her a cup of tea.
• Somebody stole my purse yesterday.
• Did you break my slate?
• Where did you find my wallet?
• Who painted the beautiful walls?
• My promise was kept by me.
• The truth was spoken by her.
• A lie was not told by us.
• I was kept waiting by her.
• She was offered a cup of tea by him.
• My purse was stolen yesterday.
• Was my slate broken by you?
• Where was my wallet found by you?
• By whom were the beautiful walls painted?

Active and Passive Voice Worksheets with Answers #9

• She can help you.
• He could solve this sum.
• May I use your pencil?
• He might reject your plan.
• We should not violate the rules.
• You ought to serve your parents.
• He would receive you at the market.
• You must help the poor.
• You can be helped by her.
• This sum could be solved by him.
• May your pencil be used by me?
• Your plan might be rejected by him.
• The rules should not be violated by us.
• Your parents ought to be served by you.
• You would be received by him at the market.
• The poor must be helped by you.

Voice Change Exercises with Answers #10

• Let us play tennis.
• Let her do it.
• Let him have the book.
• Let them watch a film.
• Let us repair it.
• Open the window.
• Obey your parents.
• Switch on the light.
• Never waste time.
• Let tennis be played by us.
• Let it be done by her.
• Let the book be had by him.
• Let a film be watched by them.
• Let it be repaired by us.
• Let it be done.
• Let the window be opened.
• Let your parents be obeyed.
• Let the light be switched on.
• Let time be never wasted.

Active and Passive Voice

Time and Tense

Subject Verb Agreement

Figures of Speech

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the troffie police shows the driver red-signal

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• English Grammar
• Grammar Exercises
• Active And Passive Voice Exercises
• Voice Change Exercises For Class 10

Voice Change Exercises for Class 10

Voice in the English language are classified into two – the active voice and the passive voice . To get yourself thorough with their use, you can work out voice change exercises. This article has some voice change exercises for class 10 students. Anyone who wishes to comprehend the usage of the active and passive voice can also try out these exercises.

Voice Change Exercises for Class 10 with Answers

Complete the following exercises and check your answers when you are done with them.

Exercise 1 – Change as directed

Read the following sentences and change them as directed.

• Do you like Naina? (Passive Voice)
• Asha Bhosle sings beautiful songs. (Passive Voice)
• Tina is known to me. (Active Voice)
• The film has been signed by Shah Rukh Khan. (Active Voice)
• Cricket is played by Sourav Ganguly. (Active Voice)
• Meera worshipped Lord Krishna. (Passive Voice)
• Mark Antony delivered a speech to the Roman people. (Passive Voice)
• Ved Vyasa wrote Mahabharata. (Passive Voice)
• Mr Singha has been robbed by the burglar. (Active Voice)
• The cat drank the milk. (Passive Voice)
• The piano was being played by Rima. (Active Voice)
• The guards will have locked the gates by 2 P.M. (Passive Voice)
• Who cooked the pasta? (Passive Voice)
• Where was my book found by you? (Active Voice)
• The children are playing holi. (Passive Voice)

Answers for Exercise 1

• Is Naina liked by you?
• Beautiful songs are sung by Asha Bhosle.
• I know Tina.
• Shah Rukh Khan has signed the film.
• Sourav Ganguly plays cricket.
• Lord Krishna was worshipped by Meera.
• A speech was delivered to the Roman people by Mark Antony.
• Mahabharata was written by Ved Vyasa.
• The burglar has robbed Mr. Singha.
• The milk was drunk by the cat.
• Rima was playing the piano.
• The gates will have been locked by the guards by 2 P.M.
• By whom was the pasta cooked?
• Where did you find my book?
• Holi is being played by the children.

Exercise 2 – Change the Voice

• The dog chased the boy.
• The cat bit the baby.
• The delivery boy rang the bell.
• Tuhin played basketball.
• Miss Gomez teaches us French.
• Yuvraj caught the ball.
• Children love chocolates.
• Sumit will take a photograph.
• Who taught you this rhyme?
• The police arrested the dacoits.
• Ravi was flying an aeroplane
• The poacher shot the tiger.
• The lion killed the goat.
• Sachin threw the ball.
• Everyone loves little Ruchi.
• My brother has drawn this landscape.
• The people were helping the injured woman.
• Granny had taken the medicines.
• The boy is taking extra sheets.
• The dog ate the meat.

Answers for Exercise 2

• The boy was chased by the dog.
• The baby was bitten by the cat.
• The bell was rung by the delivery boy.
• Basketball was played by Tuhin.
• French is taught to us by Miss Gomez.
• The ball was caught by Yuvraj.
• Chocolates are loved by children.
• A photograph will be taken by Sumit.
• By whom were you taught this rhyme?
• The dacoits were arrested by the police.
• An aeroplane was being flown by Ravi.
• The tiger was shot by the poacher.
• The goat was killed by the lion.
• The ball was thrown by Sachin.
• Little Ruchi is loved by everyone.
• This landscape has been drawn by my brother.
• The injured woman was being helped by the people.
• The medicines had been taken by Granny.
• Extra sheets are being taken by the boy.
• The meat was eaten by the dog.

Exercise 3 – Identify the type of voice

Go through the sentences and identify the type of voice used.

• Arijit Singh sings beautiful songs.
• The Sun sets in the West
• Ricky was being punished by his teacher
• Tony Stark is helped by Peter Parker
• The mason is building the palace.
• The woodcutters cut down all the trees.
• The poor farmer dropped his axe into the river.
• The dove was shot by the mischievous boy.
• By whom was Germany taught to Bethany?
• Kate lost all the money.
• The farmers will plough the field before the monsoons.
• The homework will be finished by me in the evening.
• The enemies were defeated easily.
• Do you know who sang this song?
• The naughty children teased the monkeys in the zoo.

Answers for Exercise 3

• Active voice
• Passive voice
• Passive Voice

Frequently Asked Questions

What are active and passive exercises.

Active and passive exercises are those exercises that either deal with the identification of the voices or changing the active voice into the passive voice or vice versa.

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The sentence has been given in the Active/Passive voice. From the given options, choose the one which best expresses the given sentence in the Passive/Active voice. The teacher punished the boys who had not done their homework. [Advanced] The boys who had not done their homework had been punish by their teacher. The boys were punished by their teacher who had not done their homework. The boys who had not done their homework were punished by the teacher. The boys who had not done their homework were being punished by the teacher.

An action in a sentence can be represented in two ways, namely active and passive voice. the passive voice always uses the past participle form of the main verb irrespective of any tense. only the auxiliary verbs depend upon the sentence given in the active voice. the correct answer is c) the teacher punished the boys who had not done their homework. option c is correct as the subject of the given sentence (teacher) comes in the place of the object(the boys). here, 'who had not done their homework' gives an indication of which group of boys the teacher punished. also, the past participle form of the main verb with the helping verb 'was' is used. options a,b, and d are wrong as the given sentence is not in the past perfect tense, the phrase 'who had not done their homework' is placed wrong, and the given sentence is not in the past continuous tense respectively..

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Teaching Toward Change

• Posted May 17, 2024
• By Maya Wesby

The Intellectual Contribution Award recognizes graduating Ed.M. students (one from each master’s degree program) whose dedication to scholarship enhanced HGSE’s academic community and positively affected fellow students. All recipients were nominated by their classmates based on who inspired them, helped them gain a different perspective on education's challenges, and contributed to shared learning and intellectual growth, both inside and outside of the classroom. Each program's faculty directors, in consultation with other faculty and staff, selected the final honorees for their program based on the nominations and on demonstrated academic success.  

Clari Heredia and Bryant Odega will be honored with the Intellectual Contribution Award for the Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL) Program during HGSE Convocation exercises on May 22. Below, our faculty members comment on the selections, and we asked the winners about their time at HGSE, their future goals, and their approach to impacting the field of education.

Clari Heredia, Ed.M.'24

"Clari’s open, nonjudgmental stance welcomes classmates into conversation, and her genuine curiosity encourages peers to try on new perspectives. Threaded through it all, Clari’s gentle smile and humble approach causes us all to lean in and listen. That’s a vital intellectual contribution." — Lecturer Sarah Fiarman

What brought you to HGSE and what was your goal in coming here? After a decade as an elementary school teacher engaged with Visible Thinking framework, Project Zero brought me to HGSE. I was eager to deepen and broaden my teaching techniques toolbox with evidence-based practices to become a better teacher myself and support other educators by leading change. I was also looking forward to being part of a community of mission-driven educators and to learn from different perspectives.

How did your HGSE experience shape your work or your goals? My experience at HGSE has inspired me to share my learnings with other educators, working toward leading change. We often listen to people complaining about the educational system, sometimes talking about what should be done, and almost never succeeding in bringing change. I will work collaboratively towards being an agent of change.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience? I had many classes and professors that significantly shaped my experience. I would like to highlight Lecturer Tina Blythe ’s courses that were truly transformative for me. Her way of modeling effective teaching encouraged me to delve deeper into my teaching toolbox and future plans. Lecturer Sarah Fiarman showed me the importance of building authentic relationships with students and how that enhances learning. Lecturer Daniel Wilson ’s Group Learning course significantly influenced my understanding of collective learning processes and outcomes. His role as a facilitator prompted me to reflect on my practices within my classroom. Building a Democratic School with Lecturer Linda Nathan encouraged me to design a project with all these ideas in mind.

What are your post-HGSE plans? Where are you hoping to make the most impact? After HGSE, I will do educational research to learn more about evidence-based practices. I will then go back to Argentina and continue working so that every child can access a good quality education that will cultivate their curiosity, reflection, and critical thinking. I am committed to creating challenging and rigorous learning experiences within a safe learning environment, fostering a growth mindset.

Bryant Odega, Ed.M.'24

"The immense depth of Bryant’s intellect is matched by his commitment to fighting for a more just and equitable world. I remember when I first met him during office hours, he had a bag full of books on critical pedagogy. These weren't for any class assignment, but simply because he was genuinely interested in the topic. At HGSE, Bryant has dedicated his time to learning how to translate principles of justice, liberation, and joy into educational experiences that can truly transform the lives of young people. His approach to education and community work more broadly, is holistic, leading not just with his mind, but also with his heart and his actions. Bryant's warmth is immediately noticeable, but don't let that fool you. He is a fierce advocate for young people and underserved communities, always ready to stand up for what he believes in. His commitment to creating a more just and equitable world is truly inspiring." — Lecturer Eric Soto-Shed

What brought you to HGSE and what was your goal in coming here? What brought me to HGSE was the knowledge, lessons, and skills passed down to me by my mother — my first and greatest teacher who raised my younger sister and I to be the first in our family to be able to go to college. It was the aspirations and dreams of my father, who was separated from my family by ICE when I was a child, but never gave up on my ability to pursue a higher education. It was also the experiential knowledge and wisdom of the young people and community residents that I had the honor to be in community with as a long-term substitute teacher in the Harbor Area of Los Angeles, but also as a community organizer and activist in the people-centered movement throughout Los Angeles. At HGSE, my goal was to learn how to pair the experiential knowledge of my community with the technical so that I can engage in what ancestor bell hooks describes as “education as the practice of freedom” in a way that honors the communities I intend to serve as well as the labor and legacy of those who’ve struggled for our collective liberation.

What is something that you learned this year that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Something that I was reminded of this year that I will take with me throughout my education career is being mindful of the difference between “education” and “schooling.” The status quo of the school system is deeply rooted in various forms of oppression. Not only does the school system directly contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, but it also utilizes carceral logics, policies, and punitive measures that ultimately dehumanize youth who come from backgrounds that are immigrant, working class, disabled, queer, indigenous, and/or communities of color. Throughout my career as an abolitionist educator, I intend to work in solidarity with youth, fellow educators, and the communities we serve to eliminate oppression within the school system and advance an education that heals, re-humanizes, and raises the critical consciousness of young people to recognize the resources that they already possess within themselves and each other so that they can create the change they want to seek in their own lives, communities, and society.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience? A class that significantly shaped my experience at HGSE is the T004 Ethnic Studies and Education course taught by Christina “V” Villarreal and teaching fellows Ph.D. student Melina Melgoza and Ed.L.D. student Justis “DJ Faro” Lopez. In this course, I’ve learned from Dr. V key concepts, frameworks, curriculums, and epistemologies within the field of Ethnic Studies discipline that, as an Ethnic Studies Teacher Intern at New Mission, provided a unique opportunity for me to learn and practice in real-time. From Melina and Justis, I learned about the critical media literacy framework and hip hop education (among many other lessons), respectively. All of the invaluable lessons learned from them along with the people I had the joy of taking the course with have helped me stay grounded in pursuit of humanizing pedagogies as well as the ancestors who’ve made it possible for me to be where I am today.  

What are your post-HGSE plans? Where are you hoping to make the most impact? After I graduate from my program at HGSE, I plan to teach secondary social studies, particularly in Ethnic Studies, African American Studies, or both back home in Los Angeles. Within the classroom, I aim to co-create education spaces with my future students that abolish carceral practices and model the type of humanizing society that we all want to live in. Outside the classroom, I intend to continue my involvement in the labor movement especially within the teacher’s union which play an essential role in democratizing the workplace, transforming our education system for the better, fighting for the needs of our students and communities, and also serve as the last line of defense when it comes to protecting public education. I want to make sure I am involved in the movements to advance a healing and transformative education both inside and outside the classroom. 

The latest research, perspectives, and highlights from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

5 Simple Teacher Moves With Big-Time Payoffs

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This post wraps up a seven-part series on small moves teachers can make that can lead to outsized impacts on student achievement.

Encourage Student Responses

Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and co-host of the Literacy Talks podcast with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. She is the author of the Scholastic Professional title 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success :

A simple move we can make in our classrooms that has a powerful impact on student learning is to increase the opportunities for students to respond. Research shows that increasing the opportunities to respond improves academic outcomes, as well as reduces disruptive behavior (MacSuga-Gage & Simonsen, 2015; Van Camp et al., 2020). Additionally, there is no prep required for this simple move. Sounds like a win-win to me! Education consultant Anita Archer advises that we can have students respond by saying, writing, or doing. Keeping that in mind, you can try these easy ways to increase student responses in your classroom:

Choral Responses: When the answer to your question is short and simple, invite all students to respond rather than calling on just one student. Here’s an example:

Teacher: Yesterday, we learned two letters that, together, spell the sound /k/. What two letters?

Students: c-k

Teacher: That’s right. Will we see -ck at the beginning of the word or end of a word?

Students: End of the word

Teacher: Yes, -ck will come at the end of a word. Will the -ck come after a short vowel or long vowel?

Students: Short vowel

Teacher: Right again. Listen to these two words and tell me which word would use a -ck at the end: snake, snack.

Students: Snack

Partner Responses: When the answer to your question is longer and more complex, invite students to discuss the answer in partners. This works best when you assign students either Partner 1 or Partner 2. Then you can provide precise directions such as:

Teacher: Ones, tell your partner the meaning of the word scattered . Twos, use the word scattered in a sentence.

Written Responses: Using individual dry-erase boards provides a way for all students to respond in a low-stakes way, but paper can be used as well. Responses can range from very simple (dictation words and sentences in a phonics lesson) to more complex (list some ways animals protect themselves from predators).

Reading Responses: In round-robin reading, each student gets a very limited amount of oral-reading practice (maybe 1 or 2 minutes). Not only is this practice an ineffective use of time, but it is stressful and embarrassing for many students who aren’t confident in their reading skills. Instead, consider choral reading where the entire class reads aloud together. Or pair up students in intentional partnerships and have them read aloud together. You might have students switch off paragraphs or pages.

Another option is to have them read for a set number of minutes. Partner 1 reads aloud for four minutes while their partner follows along; then Partner 2 reads aloud for four minutes while their partner follows along. Another option is an activity that Archer & Hughes (2011) share called Me, We Reading. When it is Partner 1’s turn to read, they may choose “me” where they read their page aloud independently or they may choose “we” where they have their partner read the page aloud with them.

Increasing the opportunities for students to respond is a high-impact, low-prep way to boost the learning of your students. This simple move can really pack a punch! As you plan your next lesson, consider the many ways you can implement this in your classroom.

‘Wait Time’

Shelby Strong is the elementary and secondary math consultant for the Center for Mathematics Achievement at Lesley University. During her time as a secondary math teacher, she served as a Louisiana teacher leader and helped develop supplemental curriculum supports for her district and the state, including the Accelerate Math resources:

“Wait time” is not a new idea. A quick Google Scholar search for “wait time in the classroom” produces nearly 1.5 million results. In 1972, Mary Budd Rowe concluded that increasing wait time from the average of 1 second to 3-5 seconds had a noticeable positive impact on learning. In 1985, Stahl constructed the concept of “think time,” defined as a distinct period of uninterrupted silence by the teacher and all students so that they both can complete appropriate information-processing tasks, feelings, oral responses, and actions. It has been well established for decades that wait time is an important tool to enhance student learning.

Wait time is exactly what the name suggests—time to wait. Stahl (1985) defines eight categories of periods of silence according to when they occur or how they function. Let’s look at three of them in closer detail: post-teacher question wait time, post-student’s response wait time, and within-student’s response pause time. When we think of wait time, post-teacher question wait time is usually what comes to mind. Typically, teachers pause for an average of 0.7-1.4 seconds after speaking before continuing to speak or expecting a response (Rowe, 1972). By increasing this time, students are given an opportunity to consider what has been said and begin constructing a response. This particular flavor of wait time is important, but it is not the only one.

Post-student response wait time is identical to post-teacher question wait time, but the waiting occurs after a student has spoken. Within-student’s response pause time occurs when a student has started an answer and pauses. They have more to say but need additional time to figure out how to finish their thought. It is tempting to fill in the blank in order to help the student along, but this act of talking over their thinking can signal that we do not trust them to form a conclusion or “get to the point” on their own.

Why then is something as simple as waiting so challenging to implement? It is widely acknowledged that there are never enough hours in the day, especially when it comes to teaching. There is always more content to cover, more skills to hone, and more being piled onto teachers’ plates. It is tempting, then, to call on the first hand raised in order to keep things moving in the allotted 45 minutes. It can also feel awkward to sit in silence, wondering if any students will offer a response and fighting the urge to rephrase your question or start dropping hints for students. However, when we do not offer wait time to our students, we compromise equity of voice by only making space for students who have something to share immediately.

In our fast-paced world, taking time to think and listen is often undervalued. Yet the rewards of wait time outweigh the barriers to implementation. I have found several strategies helpful to ensure I actively use wait time that you may try immediately:

• Count to five in your head before calling on someone to respond and again after they have finished speaking.
• Offer students an opportunity to think independently first, then turn and talk to a neighbor to figure out what they want to say before sharing with the entire class.
• Ask students to raise a silent thumb against their chest when they have an idea they are ready to share, so that students who need more time are not discouraged.

A coach that I recently worked with put it beautifully: “What are we signaling to students when we ask them to pause and consider what we’ve said before answering, but we don’t offer that same consideration time after a student has spoken?” By including post-student’s response wait time and within-student’s response pause time in our teacher tool kits, we encourage students to listen carefully not just to us but to one another. We communicate that we value student thinking by offering space for it to actually take place.

A full-time classroom teacher for 15 years, Jeff Wilhelm is currently Distinguished Professor of English Education at Boise State, the director of the Boise State Writing Project, and a teacher of middle or high schoolers each spring. He has authored 42 books about teaching and learning:

The most essential and neglected “small teaching move” is that of structuring reflection into our teaching and learning episodes. When I set out to review the major research findings about what is most essential to engaging and transformational teaching, these findings were distilled into the acronym of EMPOWER, which serves as a mental map for planning and operationalizing effective teaching of any kind in any situation.

Of these essential moves, all supported by research over many years and across the learning sciences, priming (activating learner background and interest), orienting (setting the short- and long-term purposes and payoffs for the learning) and reflection (naming what has been learned, how it was learned, how the learning can be justified and applied) can all be “small” moves with “HUGE” effects that make all the difference in whether students actually learn and then transform how they engage, know, think, and apply their learning.

Research into classroom practice demonstrates that reflection is the move that is most neglected among these three. Taking just 1-2 minutes can make a “power move” of reflection when we simply ask learners: “What is your major takeaway from today’s learning? How will you use what you have learned later on today and in our final projects for this unit?” Likewise, we can use simple formative assessments like Marvy/Muddy, asking students to record what really struck them as useful about a learning episode and to consider how it might be used, then to name what they still don’t fully understand and what they might do to develop more understanding. Other ideas include “changes in understanding charts” with prompts like: Earlier I thought . . . but now I think . . . because . . . Reflection prompts, quick peer interviews, exit tickets are all examples of quick-hit reflections.

There are certainly hundreds of these techniques, and we need to use them because reflecting is like clicking save. If we don’t do it, students lose their work and evolving understandings – and lose the chance to extend and apply them! These kinds of reflections are formative assessments that make visible what students understand and don’t understand yet in ways that inform our next teaching moves. They also constitute what Lorna Earle calls “assessment for and as learning vs. of learning,” i.e., reflection that supports and abets learning versus merely evaluating it.

Haskell’s reviews of research on “transfer of learning” show that when we don’t take those 1-2 minutes to support student reflection, then transfer of learning is not achieved. If I spend the time to teach my students anything at all, from decoding multisyllabic words to identifying the cues that something is a key detail to creating a mental model for evaluating evidence, I want them to use what they have learned the next time they read or compose a similar kind of text (near-road transfer) or even a completely new task that uses the same kinds of knowledge (far-road transfer). If they don’t achieve any kind of transfer, then I’d have a hard time making the case that I taught them anything at all.

The most powerful reflection techniques I know are procedural feedback and procedural feed forward, when students are asked to name what another student or they themselves have done, the meaning and effect achieved, and the causal nature of this process. Using procedural feedback requires students to develop a map of why and how things work and to justify their knowledge. It also promotes an agentive growth mindset: that with effort practicing useful strategies, they can and will become more competent and even expert.

Since reflection is essential to all teaching and learning, let’s resolve to do it! Otherwise, our learners will not become independent in extending their learning in ways that fully actualize their potential and move them into a transformed future.

Here are free teaching resources on using REFLECTION strategies and EMPOWER for planning lessons and units that include all the must-make moves of effective teaching.

Thanks to Lindsay, Shelby, and Jeffrey for contributing their thoughts.

The question of the week is:

What is a “small teaching move” that you think is not as common as it should be? A “small teaching move” in this context is an action that would require very little prep, can easily be made into a routine or habit, and is likely to result in increased student engagement and learning.

In Part One , Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Jessica Fernandez, Alejandra Carmona-Guzmán, and Daman Harris shared their suggestions.

In Part Two , Sydney Chaffee, Wendi Pillars, Cacee Weaver, and Cheryl Abla contributed their responses.

In Part Three , Diana Laufenberg, Valentina Gonzalez, Matt Renwick, and Cindy Garcia answered the question.

In Part Four, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, Lauren Nifong, Rebecca Alber, and Jenn Guerrero offered their ideas.

In Part Five , Renee Jones, Todd Stanley, Kelly Owens, Kit Golan wrote about their experiences.

In Part Six , Amber Chandler, Sandy Mendoza, Dale Ripley, and Jonelle St. Aubyn answered the question.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Teachers Are Sharing Just How Much The Pandemic Changed Their Jobs

"I am no longer just a teacher. I am now a social worker, therapist, guidance counselor, parent, etc. all while trying to get kids to care about whatever topic we're covering."

BuzzFeed Contributor

It's been four years since schools were forced to adapt to the effects of the pandemic, so we recently asked teachers of the BuzzFeed Community to share how their jobs have changed (good or bad) since then.

Here's what they had to say:, 1. "the pandemic put so much more pressure on me as an educator that i grew to hate the job i loved, and i quit after 10 years. i don't know *how* to teach well in the classroom the way it is today. in my experience, students don't want to be there. they don't see the point of in-person learning. add to that virtually no support from parents or administration and i'm left with a group of silent students who won't look up from their phones, won't ask questions, and also won't do work. calling home does nothing because the parents also don't care.".

— katequimby88

2. "I feel like the kids have a lot fewer social skills now than they did pre-pandemic. I deal with second graders, and the number of times I have dealt with kids who don't know how to properly interact or socialize with their peers, or who would rather go play on a computer than play with their friends, is staggering."

3. "I am no longer just a teacher. I am now a social worker, therapist, guidance counselor, parent, etc. all while trying to get kids to care about whatever topic we're covering. I am teaching basic manners and explaining to students why their emotions are valid. I don't remember doing that prior to the pandemic. I love my job, but it has become A LOT since I was not trained to be in any of the roles listed above."

—29, Pennsylvania

4. "Students are so addicted to screens. My fifth-grade students will have literal meltdowns if we do an assignment that is not on their device."

—43, Indiana

5. "Everything is now officially online. It can be a good thing, but some of the teachers at my school think they don’t have to teach anymore. They just assign something on Reading A-Z and sit back and let the kids go to town. The kids finish assigned work, but are they actually learning anything?"

— mollyhovan

6. "English teacher here. More than ever we have to deal with psychological issues in students, like depression and low self-esteem. When schools finally opened back up for good in April 2022 (here in Germany), students had gone for almost two years without proper education. At the same time, administrators ordered schools/teachers to gallop through the curriculum to 'catch up.' The result: Students who didn't know the basics were not supported and taught to their needs but were expected to 'keep up.' Many of them could/can not deal with the pressure of that impossible task."

— mudda8139

7. "The use of tech does not necessarily equate to bad teaching. I have students read on an online program that tracks their reading speed, how much they look up words, and how they answer complex thinking questions that I design. And my kids (high schoolers) can take their Chromebooks home or access things on their phones, so they can't lose the assignments. In that way, the pandemic has improved teaching somewhat."

— bethechangeyouwanttosee

8. "There are RAMPANT attendance issues that were not as common before."

—32, North Carolina

9. "Fine-motor skills are nonexistent. Eleven-year-olds cannot cut in a straight line, cannot color inside the lines, and their handwriting is atrocious!"

10. "unfortunately, behavior has changed for the worse due to two things: lack of social skills from being housebound and lack of discipline/attention from parents working from home.".

— chillcrocodile14

11. "My college students expect to Zoom into an in-person class or have complete video available afterward. I'm supposed to have all these contingencies available in case they don't feel like walking across campus."

—53, Tennessee

12. "Many school systems changed policies during the pandemic flat-out stating that no teacher could fail a student for any reason and always had to accept late work of any quality under any circumstances and then didn’t change the policies back after lockdown was over. My district did not keep those rules in place, and that’s been hard for many students transferring in to adjust to. I teach older teens who come to our school from all over the country, and depending on where they were prior to my class, there is a VAST difference in preparedness and awareness of their responsibilities in terms of their own learning."

"A lot of them are genuinely shocked if they don’t automatically get 100% for turning in an assignment on time, even if the assignment doesn’t meet any of the metrics outlined on the syllabus other than the due date. I’ll also have students not turn in any assignments all semester, then assume it’s fine for them to turn everything in two days before final grades are due and that doing so will turn their grade around from an F to a B+. Through no fault of their own, they got used to not facing repercussions for failing to meet stated requirements and are shocked and sometimes even traumatized when they enter environments that are more rigorous about meeting metrics that, prior to the pandemic, were the norm."

13. There's now an "expectation for instantaneous teacher responses since 'we’re on our computer all day.'"

—30, Illinois

14. "I teach elementary students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities. Some of my older students could probably have been successful in the general education classroom with support but because they missed those fundamental years of pre-k, kinder, and some of first, they were diagnosed late and thus missed so many important interventions. They struggle with basic concepts because they weren't able to get the help they needed. They struggle with managing emotions or dealing with frustration because that wasn't something they had to learn to do. Now they are on a completely different graduation track because they are years behind where they should be. If they had been properly diagnosed and placed at an early age and gotten those interventions they would still struggle academically but they would have consistently been given the help they need."

—Katie, Texas

15. "The kids have changed a lot. Far more students have anxiety now and need counseling. We have more 'runners' now, too (students who run out of class or try to run home)."

—49, California

16. "I teach high school, and it seems like the students think they are capable of doing a lot less. They also don't make good use of class time given to them to work, nor do they do work at home. I give kids class time to read because they won't do it on their own, but then they play on their phones unless I constantly tell them to stop. They have no attention spans. They aren't any busier than any pre-pandemic group; they just lost all sense of time management."

The two female high school students work together and use their cell phones to research during class.

17. "Early childhood educator here and as someone who has worked in teaching pre and post-pandemic, I feel like the leadership involvement within situations has been less and less. Pre-pandemic, leadership was very involved and hands-on to find a resolution. Post-pandemic, leadership responses to classroom situations have had a significant impact on children’s health and safety, social-emotional development, and staff mental health."

—51, Wisconsin

18. "No one is wrong anymore. If I ask a student to change their behavior for the setting they are in, such as the difference between playground behavior and home behavior students say they don't have to (more than once and different students in different grades). In class, they support their answers with 'because that's what I think.' It's great they're independent thinkers, but sometimes Alaska is not a tropical weather zone despite being close to Hawaii on the map and you can't throw rocks at your friends, in middle school."

—46, Arizona

19. And finally, "The teachers are still burnt out. We’ve all survived a trauma, but none of us have actually healed from it. People are calling out sick more, and, as a result, our district is policing our sick days. Rather than trying to address burnout, they are becoming more punitive. It’s pretty toxic now."

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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