Understanding Active and Passive Voice

The question asks us to convert an active voice sentence into its correct passive voice form. Understanding the structure of active and passive voice is key to solving this problem.

In active voice, the subject performs the action. The structure is typically: Subject + Verb + Object.

In passive voice, the subject receives the action. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The structure changes depending on the tense of the verb in the active sentence.

Analyzing the Original Sentence: "The masons are building the house."

Let's break down the given sentence:

• Subject: The masons (They are performing the action)
• Verb: are building (This is the verb phrase)
• Object: the house (This is receiving the action)

The verb "are building" is in the present continuous tense. This tells us that the action is happening right now and is ongoing.

Converting Present Continuous Active to Passive Voice

The rule for changing a sentence from present continuous active to passive voice is as follows:

Passive Structure: New Subject (Object of active sentence) + am/is/are + being + Past Participle of the verb + by + Agent (Subject of active sentence)

Let's apply this rule to our sentence:

1. Identify the object of the active sentence: "the house". This will be the new subject in the passive sentence.
2. Choose the correct form of 'to be' (am/is/are) based on the new subject. "The house" is singular, so we use "is".
3. Add "being" after the form of 'to be'. So far, we have "The house is being".
4. Use the past participle of the main verb "building". The past participle of "build" is "built". Now we have "The house is being built".
5. Add "by" and the original subject ("the masons") as the agent. This gives us "by the masons".

Putting it all together, the passive voice form of "The masons are building the house" is "The house is being built by the masons".

Evaluating the Given Options for Passive Form

Now, let's examine the provided options to find the one that matches our derived passive sentence:

• Option 1: The house is being built by the masons.

  This sentence perfectly matches the structure and tense required for converting a present continuous active sentence to passive voice. The object ("the house") is the new subject, it uses "is being built" (correct passive form for present continuous), and includes "by the masons" (the agent).

• Option 2: The house is building the masons.

  This sentence is incorrect. It uses "the house" as the subject performing the action "is building" on "the masons". This is an active sentence, and the meaning is illogical.

• Option 3: The house was being built by the masons.

  This sentence is in the past continuous passive tense ("was being built"). The original sentence was in the present continuous tense ("are building"). The tense must remain the same when converting from active to passive voice.

• Option 4: The house has been built by the masons.

  This sentence is in the present perfect passive tense ("has been built"). The original sentence was in the present continuous tense ("are building"). This is an incorrect tense change.

Conclusion on Correct Passive Voice

Based on the rules for converting present continuous active voice to passive voice, Option 1, "The house is being built by the masons", is the correct passive form of the sentence "The masons are building the house".

Revision Table: Active vs. Passive Voice Rules

Additional Information: Importance of Voice in Sentences

Understanding active and passive voice helps in writing clear and effective sentences. While active voice is generally preferred for its directness and energy, passive voice is useful in certain situations, such as:

• When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant (e.g., "The window was broken.").
• When you want to emphasize the action or the object receiving the action (e.g., "The decision was made by the committee.").
• In scientific or technical writing where the focus is often on processes or results rather than the person performing the action.

Converting between active and passive voice requires careful attention to the original tense to ensure the meaning remains consistent.