Converting Passive Voice to Active Voice Explained

The question asks us to transform a sentence from passive voice to active voice. Understanding the difference between these two voices is key to correctly answering this type of question.

What are Active and Passive Voices?

• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action. The structure is typically Subject + Verb + Object. Example: The boy threw the ball. (The boy is the subject performing the action of throwing).
• Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action. The structure is typically Subject + form of 'be' + past participle + (by + agent). Example: The ball was thrown by the boy. (The ball is the subject receiving the action).

Analyzing the Given Sentence

The given sentence is: "The deer was killed by the boar."

Let's break it down:

• Subject: The deer (the one receiving the action)
• Verb: was killed (passive form of the verb 'kill' in Past Simple tense)
• Agent: the boar (the one performing the action, introduced by 'by')

This sentence is in passive voice because the subject ("The deer") is receiving the action ("was killed"). The agent performing the action is "the boar".

Converting from Passive to Active Voice

To convert a passive voice sentence to active voice, we need to:

1. Identify the agent (the doer of the action). This will become the new subject.
2. Identify the passive verb and determine its tense. Convert it to the corresponding active verb form in the same tense.
3. Identify the original subject (the receiver of the action). This will become the new object.
4. Rearrange the sentence into the active voice structure: New Subject + Active Verb + New Object.

Applying these steps to "The deer was killed by the boar":

• Agent: "the boar". This becomes the new subject.
• Passive Verb: "was killed". This is Past Simple Passive. The active form in Past Simple is "killed".
• Original Subject: "The deer". This becomes the new object.
• New Sentence: "The boar killed the deer."

Evaluating the Options

Let's examine each option to see which one correctly expresses the sentence in active voice while maintaining the original meaning and tense:

Based on the analysis, option 4 correctly converts the sentence "The deer was killed by the boar" into active voice, stating that "The boar killed the deer".

Revision Table: Key Voice Transformation Points

Additional Information on Voice Change

Changing voice involves rearranging the sentence elements and adjusting the verb form. It is crucial to identify the doer and receiver of the action correctly. Not all passive sentences include the agent (e.g., "The road was repaired"). In such cases, the active voice sentence might have a general subject like "Someone" or "They" (e.g., "Someone repaired the road"). However, when the agent is present ("by + noun"), that noun typically becomes the subject of the active sentence. Pay close attention to verb tense when changing voice; the tense should remain consistent between the passive and active forms.