Change the following sentences from passive voice to active voice.
For example: The novel was read by Mom in one day.
Answer:
Mom read the novel in one day.
(a) Our task had been completed before sunset
(b) My friends are watching the match.
(c) Men have been ruined by gambling.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Sure! Here’s the transformation of the sentences from passive voice to active voice, followed by a detailed explanation:
(a) Passive Voice: Our task had been completed before sunset.
Active Voice: We had completed our task before sunset.
Explanation:
In passive voice, the subject (the “doer” of the action) is either omitted or placed at the end of the sentence. The focus is on the action or the object receiving the action. To change this to active voice, we need to identify the subject performing the action and bring it to the front.
- In passive voice: “Our task had been completed.”
- “Our task” is the object receiving the action of completion.
- The sentence indicates that someone (the subject) completed the task.
- We can infer that the subject performing the action is “we,” as the task is something that would typically be completed by the group.
Therefore, the active voice version is: “We had completed our task before sunset.”
(b) Passive Voice: My friends are watching the match.
Active Voice: My friends are watching the match. (This sentence is already in active voice)
Explanation:
This sentence is already in active voice. In an active voice sentence, the subject (in this case, “My friends”) is performing the action (here, “watching”), and the object (the match) is receiving the action. Therefore, there’s no need for further change here.
(c) Passive Voice: Men have been ruined by gambling.
Active Voice: Gambling has ruined men.
Explanation:
- In passive voice, the focus is on the object (“men”) receiving the action (“ruined”) while the doer of the action (gambling) appears at the end.
- To convert it to active voice, we need to identify the subject (the one performing the action). Here, “gambling” is the cause of the ruining, so it becomes the subject.
- The active voice sentence: “Gambling has ruined men” emphasizes the action performed by “gambling” on “men.”
General Rules for Transforming from Passive to Active:
- Identify the subject, verb, and object in the passive sentence.
- Move the subject (the doer of the action) to the beginning of the sentence.
- Ensure that the verb tense matches the active sentence while keeping the meaning intact.
- In cases where the subject is vague or unknown, you can sometimes leave it implied or use a general pronoun like “we” or “they.”
By understanding the roles of the subject, verb, and object, you can easily convert sentences between active and passive voice. The main difference is that in active voice, the focus is on the doer of the action, while in passive voice, the focus shifts to the receiver of the action.