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

The boys were playing a football match.

  1. A football match was being played by the boys.

  2. Playing a football match was being done by the boys.

  3. Being played a football match by the boys.

  4. A football match by the boys was being played.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Case of present continuous tense. We use 'is/are + being' with the third form of the verb in passive voice in this tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the sentence that changes the voice of the following sentence.

People speak English all over the world.

  1. English is spoken all over the world.

  2. All over the world, people speak English.

  3. English is spoken by the people all over the world.

  4. English was spoken all over the world.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in active voice contains an indefinite or vague pronoun as subject, i.e. people. In such cases, the agent with ‘by’ is usually avoided. The verb in active sentence is in simple present. It changes into ‘is/am/are + v3’ (v3 – past participle).

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the sentence that changes the voice of the following sentence.

They asked my name.

  1. My name is asked.

  2. My name was asked.

  3. My name is asked by them.

  4. My name has been asked by them.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in active voice contains an indefinite or vague pronoun as subject, i.e. they. In such case, the agent with ‘by’ is usually avoided. The verb in active sentence is in simple past. It changes into ‘was/were + v3’ (v3 – past participle).

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the sentence that changes the voice of the following sentence.

The door is being knocked.

  1. Someone is knocking the door.

  2. Someone is being knocked the door.

  3. The door is knocked by someone.

  4. Someone knocked the door.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The active voice for this passive voice sentence should be in present continuous. The verb form 'is +v1 + ing' (A.V.) changes into 'is/am/are+ being + v3' (P.V.). As the subject is indefinite pronoun, it is omitted in passive. It should be present in active voice of the sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the sentence that changes the voice of the following sentence.

The principal presided over the meeting.

  1. The meeting is presided over by the principal.

  2. The meeting was presided by the principal.

  3. The meeting is presided over the principal.

  4. The meeting was presided over by the principal.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The simple past in active voice (v2) will be (was/were + v3) in passive voice. The preposition by has to be used as the subject of active voice is definite.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the sentence that changes the voice of the following sentence.

Why did your sister give such a reaction?

  1. Why was such a reaction given by your sister?

  2. Why such a reaction was given by your sister?

  3. Why such a reaction is given by your sister?

  4. Why is such reaction given by your sister?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The helping verb in interrogative sentence comes after the questioning word. The same must be followed even in passive voice. As the sentence is simple past, the same be-form is used.

Multiple choice

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

We infect the world with our ill humor.

  1. The world is infected by us by our ill humor.

  2. The world is infected by us with our ill humor.

  3. The world get infected by us with our ill humor.

  4. The world was infected by us with our ill humor.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B 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. 'With our ill humour' is the correct usage.

Multiple choice

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

What kind of fruit were they growing?

  1. What kind of fruit is being grown by them?

  2. What kind of fruit was being grown by them?

  3. What kind of fruit did they grow?

  4. Which kind of fruit was being grown by them?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B 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 past continuous; it takes 'being' in passive voice. Pronoun 'what' will remain unchanged.  

Multiple choice

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

I have received so much love and affection from Indians.

  1. So much love and affection from Indian have been received by me.

  2. So much love and affection from Indians has been received by me.

  3. So much love and affection has been received from Indians by me.

  4. Indians have given me so much of love and affection.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B 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. Prsent perfect changes to present perfect tense in the passive voice. Moreover, singular noun (me) takes singular verb 'has'.

Multiple choice

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

Rain disrupted the last day's play between India and Sri Lanka.

  1. The last day's play of India and Sri Lanka was disrupted by rain.

  2. India and Sri Lanka's play of the last day was disrupted by rain.

  3. The last day's play between India and Sri Lanka was disrupted by rain.

  4. The last day's play between India and Sri Lanka got disrupted by rain.
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 change is related only to the verb clause. Preposition remains unchanged while changing voice. 

Multiple choice

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

He was arrested on a charge of theft but was released for lack of evidence.

  1. The police arrested him on a charge of theft but later released for lack of evidence.

  2. The police arrested him on a charge of theft but he was released for lack of evidence.

  3. The police arrested him on a charge of theft but released him for lack of evidence.

  4. He was arrested by the police on a charge of theft but they released him for lack of evidence.
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 change is related only to the verb clause. If subject is missing in the passive voice, we provide the same while changing the voice. 

Multiple choice

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

The Romans expected to conquer the whole world.

  1. The whole world was expected to be conquered by the Romans.

  2. The Romans were expected to conquer the whole world.

  3. It was expected by the Romans that they would conquer the whole world.

  4. The whole world was expected by the Romans to be conquered.
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 change is related only to the verb clause. Considering this, option 3 is the right choice. 

Multiple choice

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

They did not return the money that they had borrowed.

  1. The money was not returned by them that they had borrowed.

  2. The money that they had borrowed was not returned by them.

  3. The money they had borrowed was not returned.

  4. The money that they had borrowed is not returned 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 change is related only to the verb clause. 

Multiple choice

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

No part of these ashes should be retained or preserved.

  1. Nobody should retain or preserve any part of these ashes.

  2. Nobody should retain or preserve these ashes.

  3. You cannot retain or preserve any part of these ashes.

  4. Anybody should preserve or retain no part of these ashes.

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 change is related only to the verb clause. Whenever, the object is anonymous, we prefer usage of 'nobody' in negative cases and 'anybody' in positive cases.