Select the option that expresses the given sentence in active voice.Pygmalion was written by GB Shaw.

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Understanding Passive and Active Voice Conversion

The question asks us to convert a sentence from passive voice to active voice. Understanding the difference between these two voices is key to solving this type of grammar problem.

In the active voice, the subject performs the action. The structure is typically: Subject + Verb + Object.
In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The structure is typically: Object of action + 'be' verb (in appropriate tense) + Past Participle of main verb + 'by' + Subject performing action (agent).

Analyzing the Passive Sentence

The given sentence is: Pygmalion was written by GB Shaw.

Let's break down its components:

Subject (receiving the action): Pygmalion
Verb Phrase: was written (This is the simple past tense of 'write' in the passive voice: 'was' + past participle 'written').
Agent (performing the action): GB Shaw (introduced by 'by')

This structure clearly indicates that the sentence is in the passive voice, where 'Pygmalion' (the work) is the subject receiving the action ('was written'), and 'GB Shaw' is the agent performing the action ('writing').

Applying Conversion Rules to Active Voice

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

Identify the agent in the passive sentence (the one performing the action, usually after 'by'). This becomes the subject of the active sentence.
Identify the verb phrase in the passive sentence and determine its tense. Convert the main verb to the corresponding active voice tense. The passive voice verb "was written" is in the simple past tense. The active voice verb should also be in the simple past tense.
Identify the subject of the passive sentence. This becomes the object of the active sentence.
Remove the 'by' phrase.

Let's apply these steps to "Pygmalion was written by GB Shaw":

The agent is GB Shaw. So, GB Shaw is the subject in the active voice.
The passive verb is "was written", which is simple past passive. The active verb should be the simple past tense of 'write', which is wrote.
The passive subject is Pygmalion. So, Pygmalion is the object in the active voice.

Putting it together, the active voice sentence is: GB Shaw wrote Pygmalion.

Evaluating the Options

Now, let's examine the given options to find the one that matches our derived active voice sentence:

Option	Sentence	Analysis
1	GB Shaw was writing Pygmalion.	This is in the active voice, but the tense is Past Continuous ('was writing'), not Simple Past ('wrote'). Incorrect.
2	GB Shaw was written by Pygmalion.	This is in the passive voice. Also, the subject and agent are swapped incorrectly. This means Pygmalion wrote GB Shaw, which is grammatically correct passive structure but logically incorrect based on who wrote what. Incorrect.
3	Pygmalion wrote GB Shaw.	This is in the active voice, but the subject (Pygmalion) and object (GB Shaw) are swapped. It incorrectly states that Pygmalion performed the action of writing GB Shaw. Incorrect.
4	GB Shaw wrote Pygmalion.	This is in the active voice. The subject is GB Shaw, the verb is wrote (Simple Past, matching the original tense), and the object is Pygmalion. This correctly shows that GB Shaw performed the action of writing Pygmalion. Correct.

Based on the analysis, option 4 is the correct conversion of the passive sentence "Pygmalion was written by GB Shaw" into the active voice.

Revision Table: Voice Conversion Basics

Feature	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Focus	On the doer of the action (Subject)	On the receiver of the action (Subject)
Structure	Subject + Verb + Object	Object of action + 'be' verb + Past Participle (+ 'by' + Agent)
Example (Simple Past)	GB Shaw wrote Pygmalion.	Pygmalion was written by GB Shaw.

Additional Information: Importance of Active Voice

While both active and passive voices are grammatically correct, the active voice is generally preferred in writing because it is:

More direct and clear.
More concise (often uses fewer words).
More engaging and energetic.

The passive voice is often used when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than the doer. For example, "The window was broken" focuses on the window and the state of being broken, without mentioning who broke it.