Understanding Active and Passive Voice

Sentences can be written in either active voice or passive voice. Understanding the difference is key to converting a sentence from one voice to the other.

• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action. The structure is typically Subject + Verb + Object.
• Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action. The focus is often on the action itself or the receiver of the action. The structure is typically Object (becomes subject) + form of 'be' + Past Participle of the verb + (by + Subject).

Analyzing the Original Sentence: Active Voice

The given sentence is: "The first settlers displaced the original inhabitants."

Let's break it down:

• Subject: The first settlers (They perform the action)
• Verb: displaced (This is the action performed)
• Object: the original inhabitants (They receive the action)

The verb "displaced" is in the simple past tense.

Converting Active Voice to Passive Voice

To convert an active sentence to passive voice, we follow these steps:

1. Identify the object of the active sentence. This will become the subject of the passive sentence.
2. Identify the verb and its tense in the active sentence.
3. Use the correct form of the auxiliary verb 'be' that matches the tense of the original verb and agrees with the new subject.
4. Use the past participle of the main verb.
5. The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the preposition 'by' (optional, but often included).

Applying the Conversion Steps

Let's apply these steps to "The first settlers displaced the original inhabitants."

1. Object of Active: "the original inhabitants". This becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
2. Verb and Tense: "displaced" - simple past tense.
3. Form of 'be': The new subject "the original inhabitants" is plural, and the tense is simple past. The correct form of 'be' is "were".
4. Past Participle: The past participle of "displace" is "displaced".
5. 'by' phrase: "by the first settlers".

Putting it together, the passive form is: "The original inhabitants were displaced by the first settlers."

Evaluating the Options for Passive Voice

Let's examine each option provided:

• Option 1: The original inhabitants are displacing the first settlers.
  This sentence is in the active voice ("are displacing"). The subject ("The original inhabitants") is performing the action, and the roles of the original subject and object are reversed. The tense is also present continuous, not simple past. This is incorrect.
• Option 2: The original inhabitants were displaced by the first settlers.
  The original object ("The original inhabitants") is the subject. The verb is "were displaced", which is the correct passive form for a plural subject in the simple past tense. The original subject ("the first settlers") is in the 'by' phrase. This matches our derived passive sentence. This is the correct passive form.
• Option 3: The original inhabitants will displace the first settlers.
  This sentence is in the active voice ("will displace"). The subject ("The original inhabitants") is performing the action, and the roles of the original subject and object are reversed. The tense is future simple, not simple past. This is incorrect.
• Option 4: The original inhabitants are being displace by the first settlers.
  This sentence attempts to use the passive voice ("are being displace"). However, the verb tense is present continuous passive ("are being displaced"), which is not the correct tense transformation from simple past. Also, the past participle used is "displace" instead of "displaced". This is incorrect.

Based on the analysis, Option 2 is the only correct passive form of the original sentence.

Revision Table: Active vs. Passive Voice

Additional Information on Passive Voice Conversion

The passive voice conversion depends heavily on the tense of the verb in the active sentence. Here are a few examples for different tenses:

• Present Simple:
  Active: He writes a letter.
  Passive: A letter is written by him.
• Present Continuous:
  Active: He is writing a letter.
  Passive: A letter is being written by him.
• Present Perfect:
  Active: He has written a letter.
  Passive: A letter has been written by him.
• Past Continuous:
  Active: He was writing a letter.
  Passive: A letter was being written by him.
• Past Perfect:
  Active: He had written a letter.
  Passive: A letter had been written by him.
• Future Simple:
  Active: He will write a letter.
  Passive: A letter will be written by him.

Remember that not all verbs can be easily converted to passive voice (e.g., intransitive verbs that do not take a direct object). In the sentence "The first settlers displaced the original inhabitants," "displaced" is a transitive verb taking "the original inhabitants" as its direct object, making passive conversion possible.