Success Homeschool

Year 11 English · Grammar for effect

Name: ______________________

Date: ____________

1. Which sentence is in the passive voice?
- ☐ (a) The students planted 200 trees.
- ☐ (b) Two hundred trees were planted.
- ☐ (c) The students are planting trees.
- ☐ (d) Trees grow quickly here.
2. Why might a company statement say 'Errors were made in the billing system'?
- ☐ (a) To make the sentence shorter
- ☐ (b) Because it is more exciting
- ☐ (c) To avoid naming who was responsible
- ☐ (d) Because active voice is incorrect
3. Which is the nominalised form of 'investigate'?
- ☐ (a) Investigation
- ☐ (b) Investigating
- ☐ (c) Investigated
- ☐ (d) Investigative
4. What is the most likely effect of a very short sentence after several long ones?
- ☐ (a) It confuses the reader.
- ☐ (b) It slows the pace down.
- ☐ (c) It has no effect.
- ☐ (d) It creates emphasis and impact.
5. In which type of writing is the passive voice often appropriate and not evasive?
- ☐ (a) A scientific method
- ☐ (b) A personal diary
- ☐ (c) A text message to a friend
- ☐ (d) A limerick
6. What is the term for turning a verb or adjective into a noun? (one word)
7. In grammar, what is the 'doer' of an action called? (one word)
8. 'The dog bit the postie.' Is this active or passive voice? (one word)

Answer sheet

1. Two hundred trees were planted. — The subject (trees) receives the action, and the agent is omitted.
2. To avoid naming who was responsible — The agentless passive removes the person or team responsible.
3. Investigation — 'Investigation' is the noun form.
4. It creates emphasis and impact. — The contrast in length makes the short sentence stand out.
5. A scientific method — Science reports focus on the process rather than who performed it.
6. Nominalisation — Nominalisation makes writing more formal and compact.
7. Agent — The agent performs the action; the passive voice can omit it.
8. Active — The subject (the dog) performs the action.