Change into passive voice - The girls ate a mango yesterday.

Appeared in: SGPGI Nursing Officer-2024

Explanation

The original sentence is in the simple past tense, identified by the verb 'ate', which is the second form (V2) of the verb 'eat'.
The rule for converting a simple past active sentence to passive voice is: Object + was/were + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject.
In the sentence, the object is 'a mango'. Since it is singular, the auxiliary verb 'was' is used.
The past participle (V3) of 'eat' is 'eaten'.
Following the rule, the correct passive construction is 'A mango was eaten by the girls yesterday.'.

Option A: The phrase 'is being eaten' is the passive form for the present continuous tense, which is used for actions happening now.
Option B: The phrase 'has been eaten' is the passive form for the present perfect tense, which is used for actions that have recently been completed.
Option C: The phrase 'is eaten' is the passive form for the simple present tense, which is used for habitual actions or general truths.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Active and Passive Voice Transformation (Simple Past Tense) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While this is a general English question, mastery of grammar is crucial for nurses to ensure clear, accurate, and professional communication in all forms of documentation.
Precise language in patient charts, handoff reports, and incident reports prevents misinterpretation of the timeline of events, patient status, and care provided.
What if? - If the original sentence was in the simple future tense, such as 'The girls will eat a mango tomorrow,' the correct passive form would be 'A mango will be eaten by the girls tomorrow,' highlighting how the auxiliary verb changes to match the tense.

How to Approach the Question

Step 1: Identify the key components of the active sentence: Subject ('The girls'), Verb ('ate'), and Object ('a mango').
Step 2: Determine the tense of the verb. 'Ate' is the simple past tense form of 'eat'.
Step 3: Recall the specific rule for converting a simple past tense sentence to passive voice: Object + was/were + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject.
Step 4: Apply the rule to the sentence components. The object 'a mango' becomes the new subject. Use 'was' because the subject is singular. The past participle of 'eat' is 'eaten'.
Step 5: Assemble the new sentence: 'A mango was eaten by the girls yesterday.'
Step 6: Compare your constructed sentence with the given options to find the exact match.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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