Understanding Active and Passive Voice Transformation

The question asks us to convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice. Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is crucial for this transformation.

• Active Voice: The subject performs the action. Structure is typically Subject + Verb + Object. Example: Nargis (Subject) picks out (Verb) the files (Object).
• Passive Voice: The action is performed on the subject. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Structure is typically Object (as new subject) + form of 'to be' + Past Participle of the verb + (optional 'by' + original subject). Example: The files (New Subject) are picked out (form of 'to be' + Past Participle).

Analysing the Original Sentence

The given sentence is: "Nargis quickly picks out the important files from her office shelf."

Let's break down the components:

• Subject: Nargis
• Verb: picks out
• Object: the important files
• Tense: The verb "picks out" is in the Simple Present Tense.
• Adverb: quickly
• Prepositional Phrase: from her office shelf

Converting to Passive Voice - Step-by-Step

To convert a Simple Present Active sentence to Passive voice, we follow these steps:

1. Make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence. The object is "the important files".
2. Use the correct form of the verb "to be" in the Simple Present tense, agreeing with the new subject. The new subject "the important files" is plural, so the correct form is "are".
3. Use the past participle of the main verb ("picks out"). The past participle of "pick out" is "picked out".
4. Include the adverb "quickly". Adverbs of manner like "quickly" can often be placed between the auxiliary verb (form of 'to be') and the main verb (past participle).
5. Add "by" followed by the original subject ("Nargis").
6. Include any other phrases from the original sentence ("from her office shelf").

Following these steps, the passive voice sentence should be: "The important files are quickly picked out by Nargis from her office shelf."

Evaluating the Given Options

Let's compare the derived passive sentence with the given options:

• Option 1: "The important files are quickly being picked out by Nargis from her office shelf." - This uses "are being picked out", which is the passive form for the Present Continuous tense, not the Simple Present. Incorrect.
• Option 2: "The important files will be quickly picked out by Nargis from her office shelf." - This uses "will be picked out", which is the passive form for the Simple Future tense. Incorrect.
• Option 3: "The important files are quickly picked out by Nargis from her office shelf." - This uses "are picked out", which is the correct passive form for the Simple Present tense, and matches our derivation. Correct.
• Option 4: "The important files have quickly been picked out by Nargis from her office shelf." - This uses "have been picked out", which is the passive form for the Present Perfect tense. Incorrect.

Based on the transformation rules for Simple Present tense, Option 3 correctly represents the passive voice of the given sentence.

Conclusion

The sentence "Nargis quickly picks out the important files from her office shelf." is in the active voice and uses the Simple Present tense. To convert it to passive voice, we must use the Simple Present passive structure, which is subject (object of active) + am/is/are + past participle. Option 3 correctly follows this structure.

Revision Table: Key Voice Transformation Points

Additional Information on Sentence Structure and Voice

Understanding how sentences are structured helps in mastering active and passive voice. The core components are the subject (who or what does the action), the verb (the action or state of being), and often an object (who or what receives the action).

While the passive voice is grammatically correct, the active voice is generally preferred in writing because it is more direct, clear, and concise. However, the passive voice is useful when:

• The action is more important than the doer of the action (e.g., "The discovery was made in 1928.").
• The doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious (e.g., "The window was broken.").
• You want to avoid mentioning the doer of the action.

In the given sentence, converting to passive voice shifts the focus from Nargis (the doer) to the important files (the receivers of the action). The phrase "by Nargis" tells us who did the action, but the sentence structure highlights the files.

Remember that only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be converted into passive voice. Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object, e.g., "sleep," "walk," "happen") cannot be used in the passive voice.