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

Directions: Select the correct passive voice for the following sentence.

Tell me the truth.

  1. I should be told the truth.

  2. Me should be told the truth.

  3. The truth should be told by me.

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

(2) is incorrect because ‘me’ is never used in the place of a subject. (3) is incorrect because there is no subject in the original sentence and hence ‘by me’ is incorrect. (4) is incorrect because (1) is is the correct option.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct passive voice for the following sentence.

The old man was feeding the sparrows.

  1. The sparrows were fed by the old man.

  2. The sparrows had been fed by the old man.

  3. The sparrows are being fed by the old man.

  4. The sparrows were being fed by the old man.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

While changing the voice of a sentence (from active to passive), we are required to interchange the respective positions of the subject and the object, but the tense remains unchanged and ‘third form of the verb’ is used. However, we add auxiliary to indicate the tense used in the original sentence. This  is a case of past continuous tense. Option 4 is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct passive voice for the following sentence.

The rich man distributed blankets among the poor.

  1. Blankets were being distributed among the poor by the rich man.

  2. Blankets have been distributed among the poor by the rich man.

  3. Blankets are distributed among the poor by the rich man.

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

Correct Ans. (4) While changing the voice of a sentence (from active to passive), we are required to interchange the respective positions of the subject and the object, but the tense remains unchanged and ‘third form of the verb’ is used. However, we add auxiliary to indicate the tense used in the original sentence. This is a case of past indefinite tense. The correct answer is ‘’Blankets were distributed among the poor by the rich man”.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct passive voice for the following sentence.

The teacher asked me a question.

  1. I was asked a question by the teacher.

  2. A question was asked to me by the teacher.

  3. I had been asked a question by the teacher.

  4. Both (1) and (2)

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

While changing the voice of a sentence (from active to passive), we are required to interchange the respective positions of the subject and the object, but the tense remains unchanged and ‘third form of the verb’ is used. However, we add auxiliary to indicate the tense used in the original sentence. This  is the case of past indefinite tense. Here, both option 1 and 2 are framed correctly. So, option 4 is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct active voice of the following sentence.

She should be asked to leave.

  1. Ask she to leave.

  2. Ask her to leave.

  3. You should ask her to leave.

  4. I asked her to leave.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(1) is incorrect because ‘she’ is never used in the place of an object. (3) is incorrect because the subject ‘you’ has not been clearly mentioned in the original sentence. (4) is incorrect because a wrong tense has been used. Correct option is (2) 

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct direct form of the following indirect form:

She asked the gardener if he had brought flowers.

  1. She said to the gardener, “Do you bring flowers?”

  2. She asked the gardener, “See you bringing flowers?”

  3. She says to the gardener, “Have you brought flowers?”

  4. She said to the gardener, “Have you brought flowers?”
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

"Have" is changed to "had" when the reporting verb is in past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the following sentence from active to passive voice.

Rajkumar Hirani had directed the blockbuster movie PK.

  1. The blockbuster movie PK was directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

  2. The blockbuster movie PK has been directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

  3. The blockbuster movie PK had been directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

  4. The blockbuster movie PK was being directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The given sentence in in active past perfect tense. The correct passive voice in past perfect tense is 'The blockbuster movie PK had been directed by Rajkumar Hirani'. Thus, this is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct answer.

What is the indirect speech of the below given sentence? He said to me, “Please help me.”

  1. He requested me to help him.

  2. I was requested to help.

  3. He requested to help him out.

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

Here, 'said to' will change to 'requested' as 'please' is used and 'me' will change to 'him' according to the reporting speech. 'Out' cannot be used as it is not given in the question statement.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active voice.

The assignment had been completed by them.

  1. They have completed the assignment.

  2. They have been completing the assignment.

  3. They had completed the assignment.

  4. They are having to complete the assignment.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-changed in passive voice. 3rd form of verb or the past participle will be used only as main verb in passive voice. In this context, the auxiliary verb in active voice for past perfect tense ‘had been’ is ‘had’.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active voice.

The guard refused him admittance.

  1. Admittance was refused to him by the guard.

  2. Admittance was being refused to him by the guard.

  3. He was being refused admittance by the guard.

  4. Admittance had been refused to him by the guard.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

When verbs that take both direct and indirect object in the active voice are changed to the passive, either object may become the subject of the passive verb, while the other is retained. In this context, ‘Admittance was refused to him by the guard’ is correct as it also follows the correct tense of the sentence. The sentence is in simple past tense. Thus, option 3 is incorrect due to the past perfect tense in passive voice though the object is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active voice.

They use online resources for teaching the students.

  1. Online resources are being used by them for teaching the students.

  2. Online resources are used for teaching the students.

  3. Online resources have been used for teaching the students.

  4. Online resources had been used for teaching the students.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passive voice is preferred when the active form would involve the use of an indefinite or vague pronoun or noun as subject; that is when we do not know the agent or the agent is obvious. In such cases, the agent with ‘by’ is usually avoided. Thus, this sentence in simple present tense will have the verb ‘are used’. The correct sentence in this context is, ‘Online resources are used for teaching the students.’

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following questions, a sentence has been given in Active voice / Passive voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive voice / Active voice.

Don’t drink this juice.

  1. This juice not be drunk.

  2. Let this juice not be drunk.

  3. This juice cannot be drunk.

  4. Let this juice not be drank.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

If the given sentence in the active voice is in the imperative, ‘let’ is used to get passive voice. Thus, the correct passive voice will be ‘let this juice not be drunk’. Option 4 has the incorrect form of the verb.