Convert the sentence provided below from its passive voice structure to an active voice structure:
The CEO is known to have been influenced by external advisors.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Answer: Option 3 — 'People know that the CEO was influenced by external advisors.'
Reasoning:
This is a 'double passive' sentence, so it needs a two-step conversion, but exam answer keys for this pattern typically follow this specific formula:
Rule for 'X is known/said/believed to have been Y-ed by Z' → Active:
People/They + know/say/believe + that + [original subject] + [simple past passive retained] + by + agent
- 'is known' (outer passive) → 'People know' (active) ✅
- 'to have been influenced by external advisors' → simplifies to 'was influenced by external advisors' (tense shifts from perfect infinitive to simple past)
Final: 'People know that the CEO was influenced by external advisors.'
Why the other options are wrong:
- Option 1: Still passive ('are known'), and changes meaning/tense incorrectly.
- Option 2: Wrong tense ('knew' — past — not matching original present 'is known').
- Option 4: Still passive at the outer level ('are said'), and shifts focus/subject incorrectly.