Hidden Agents

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5, 6, and early 7 strengthen analytical grammar skills, sentence parsing, and understanding of passive voice constructions. Learners read sentences written in the passive voice and determine whether the preposition introduces an agent (by – who did the action) or an instrument (with – what was used). By classifying each phrase, students develop clearer insight into how prepositions clarify meaning and roles within sentences.

Learning Goals

• Identifying Sentence Roles (Grades 5-7): Distinguish between agents and instruments introduced by prepositional phrases.
• Understanding Passive Voice Structure: Analyze how actions and performers are expressed when the subject receives the action.
• Prepositional Meaning: Recognize how by and with function differently to convey responsibility or tools.
• Analytical Grammar Skills: Practice close reading and classification to strengthen grammatical reasoning.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource: Designed by educators to align with upper elementary and middle school ELA grammar standards.
• Clear Classification Task: Writing “Agent” or “Instrument” keeps the focus on meaning rather than sentence rewriting.
• Builds Conceptual Understanding: Helps students see how grammar choices affect clarity and interpretation.
• Flexible Classroom Use: Ideal for grammar lessons, small groups, review activities, or assessment checks.
• Low-Prep Printable: Easy to use in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This printable worksheet helps students uncover how meaning is shaped in passive voice sentences through careful analysis of prepositions. By identifying whether by or with signals an agent or an instrument, learners strengthen grammar awareness, sentence comprehension, and analytical thinking. Whether used in a classroom grammar unit or a homeschool language arts lesson, this resource supports precise language use and deeper understanding of sentence structure.

This worksheet is part of our by vs. with worksheets collection.