Choose the option that is the correct passive voice of the given sentence? He read out the rules to the villagers.

Appeared in: JSSH Staff Nurse - 2019

Explanation

The original sentence is in the Simple Past Tense. This is determined because the verb 'read' is used with the third-person singular subject 'He'; if it were present tense, it would be 'reads'.
The rule for converting a simple past active sentence to passive is: Object + was/were + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject.
The object 'the rules' is plural, so the correct auxiliary verb is 'were'.
The past participle of 'read' is 'read', and the agent becomes 'by him'.

Option A: This option uses the auxiliary verb 'are', which incorrectly changes the tense of the sentence to Simple Present. The original sentence is in the Simple Past.
Option B: This option incorrectly changes the agent of the action. It states the rules were read 'by the villagers', which contradicts the original sentence where 'He' performed the action.
Option C: This option uses the verb form 'were being read out', which is the Past Continuous Passive. This tense is used for ongoing actions in the past.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Active and Passive Voice Conversion (Simple Past Tense) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While this is a grammar question, mastering clear and precise language is crucial in nursing for accurate documentation, patient education, and professional communication with the healthcare team.
Accurate charting requires using correct grammar to avoid ambiguity. For example, documenting 'The patient was given medication by the nurse' (passive) is clear, but confusing the subject and object could lead to errors.
What if? If a nurse wrote in a report, 'The family was informed by the patient about the fall,' it could be ambiguous. Using clear active voice ('The patient informed the family about the fall') or correct passive voice ('The family was informed about the fall by the patient') prevents misinterpretation.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the tense of the active sentence. Look at the verb and the subject. In 'He read...', 'read' must be past tense because present tense would be 'reads'.
Next, identify the core components: Subject ('He'), Verb ('read out'), and Object ('the rules').
Recall the conversion rule for the identified tense (Simple Past). The passive structure is: Object + was/were + V3 + by + Subject.
Apply the rule: Move the object 'the rules' to the front. Since it's plural, use 'were'. The V3 of 'read' is 'read'. The subject 'He' becomes 'by him'.
Assemble the new sentence: 'The rules were read out to the villagers by him.'
Finally, compare your constructed sentence with the given options to find the exact match.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 1 p. 269-271

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.