English Language

Sentence Transformation

558 Questions

Sentence transformation questions evaluate grammatical accuracy in converting sentences between active and passive voice, as well as direct and indirect speech. The focus lies on altering sentence structures without changing the original meaning while maintaining correct tense and verb forms. This is a highly weighted English language topic in SSC and banking exams.

Active and passive voiceDirect and indirect speechNarration changeTense consistencyVerb form transformation

Sentence Transformation Questions

Multiple choice softskills communication

Choose the appropriate passive voice for the following sentence:They had finished the preparations by the time the delegates arrived.

  1. The preparations had been finished by the time the delegates arrived.

  2. The preparations were finished by the time the delegates arrived.

  3. Both of the above

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The original sentence uses past perfect tense 'had finished'. In passive voice, the object becomes the subject and we use 'had been' + past participle. 'The preparations had been finished' correctly transforms the sentence while maintaining the past perfect tense structure.

Multiple choice softskills communication

Choose the appropriate passive voice for the following sentence: The students will finish the course by April.

  1. The course will be finished by April.

  2. The course would be finished by April

  3. Both of the above

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The original sentence uses 'will finish' (future simple). In passive voice, 'will finish' becomes 'will be finished'. Option A correctly transforms the sentence. Option B incorrectly uses 'would' which changes the meaning to conditional rather than future.

Multiple choice softskills communication

In the questions below the sentences have been given in Active/Passive voice. From the given alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the given sentence in Passive/Active voice. After driving professor Kumar to the museum she dropped him at his hotel.

  1. After being driven to the museum, Professor Kumar was dropped at his hotel.

  2. Professor Kumar was being driven dropped at his hotel.

  3. After she had driven Professor Kumar to the museum she had dropped him at his hotel.

  4. After she was driven Professor Kumar to the museum she had dropped him at his hotel.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The correct passive voice transformation is 'After being driven to the museum, Professor Kumar was dropped at his hotel.' This maintains the logical sequence and uses proper passive construction. Option B is grammatically incomplete, C incorrectly shifts to past perfect, and D has incorrect subject-verb agreement in the first clause.

Multiple choice

Choose the best sentence after changing the highlighted words (infinitive forms) into gerunds.

Sentence - I sympathize with his feelings, I estimate his purposes, I interpret his intentions; all this has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.

  1. Sympathizing with his feeling, estimating his purposes, interpreting his intentions, has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.

  2. Sympathizing with his feelings, estimating his purposes, interpreting his intentions, has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.

  3. Sympathizing with his feelings, estimating his purpose, interpreting his intentions, has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.

  4. Sympathizing with his feelings, estimating his purposes, interpreting his intention, has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.

  5. Sympathizing with his feelings, estimate his purposes, interpreting his intentions, has a meaning only in context of my own expectations.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Option (2) is grammatically the most correct sentence. Options (1), (3) and (4) are incorrect because the nouns have been changed from plural to singular. Option (5) is incorrect because infinitive form (estimate) has not been converted into gerund form.

Multiple choice

Choose the best sentence after changing the highlighted word/phrase (present participle) into bare infinitive.

Sentence - Laughter appears to stand in need of an echo, not as an articulate, clear, well-defined sound, but as the reverberating successive rumblings, like thunder in a mountain.

  1. Laugh appears to stand in need of an echo, not as an articulate, clear, well-defined sound, but as the successive rumblings that reverberate like thunder in a mountain.

  2. Laughter appear to stand in need of an echo, not as an articulate, clear, well-defined sound, but as the successive rumblings that reverberate like thunder in a mountain.

  3. Laughter appears to stand in need of a echo, not as an articulate, clear, well-defined sound, but as the successive rumblings that reverberate like thunder in a mountain.

  4. Laughter appears to stand in need of an echo, not as an articulate, clear, well-defined sound, but as the successive rumblings that reverberate like thunder in a mountain.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Option (4) is grammatically the most correct option. Option (1) is incorrect because 'Laugh' is a verb and has been used incorrectly here. Option (2) is incorrect as it violates the subject verb agreement (Laughter appear). Option (3) is incorrect because of wrong usage of article before noun (echo). Option (5) is incorrect because of wrong adverbial usage (articulately, clearly…) as these words tend to modify a noun.

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

They had felt the little jerk on the rope.

  1. The little jerk had been felt by them on the rope.

  2. The little jerk was felt by them on the rope.

  3. The little jerk on the rope had been felt by them.

  4. The little jerk had been felt on the rope by them.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Voice relates only to the verb clause. Passive of past perfect takes past perfect continuous. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

It was going to solve many difficult problems.

  1. Many difficult problems are going to be solved by it.

  2. Many difficult problems were solved by it.

  3. Many difficult problems were going to be solved by it.

  4. Many difficult problems were going to be solved.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Voice relates only to the verb clause. Case of past tense remains in the past. 'Going to' will remain there. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

Who taught her such things?

  1. Who was she taught such things by?

  2. She was taught such things by whom?

  3. By whom she was taught such things?

  4. By whom was she taught such things?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Subject 'who' becomes 'whom' in passive voice. Case of interrogative sentence, where the verb precedes the subject. Hence, option 4. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

Let us make him give our fare back.

  1. He could be made to give our fare back.

  2. He can be made to give our fare back.

  3. He should be made to give our fare back.

  4. He may be made to give our fare back.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. We replace 'let' with 'should'.  Hence, option 3 is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

It is important that we win the match.

  1. The match is important to be won.

  2. Match winning is important.

  3. It is important that the match be won by us.

  4. Winning the match is important for us.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Voice relates only to the verb clause. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

Why do you waste time?

  1. Why is time wasted by you?

  2. Why does time get wasted by you?

  3. Why has time been wasted by you?

  4. Why is time being wasted by you?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Voice relates only to the verb clause. Case of present simple tense. Hence 'is wasted'. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

One must endure what one cannot cure.

  1. What cannot be cured must endure.

  2. What cannot cure must be endured.

  3. What cannot be cured must be endured.

  4. What cannot cure must endure.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Case of parallelism. 'Be cured........be endure.

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

The residents celebrated the Independence Day.

  1. The Independence Day was celebrated.

  2. The Independence Day was celebrated by the residents.

  3. The Independence Day has been celebrated by the residents.

  4. Celebration of Independence Day was celebrated with the residents.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

 Case of past simple tense. While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. 'By' precedes the object in the passive voice. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

Please help me.

  1. I may be helped by you.

  2. You are being requested to help me.

  3. You are requested to help me.

  4. I should be helped by you.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 Case of present simple tense. While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. If the subject of passive voice is missing, we can provide the same.