Read the passage and answer the questions:
"It is with deep regret that we report a terrible fire which, early on Sunday morning, destroyed a large part of the well-known Borough Market. Although the fire brigades worked hard all through the night, the strong east wind helped the flames spread quickly, burning many stalls and storerooms. Shopkeepers and townspeople watched sadly as the market was ruined. Early investigations suggest that the fire may have started because someone handled a lantern carelessly, but the authorities are still looking into the matter. The Lord Mayor has promised a full review of fire safety rules to prevent such disasters in the future."
Identify the correct passive voice sentence from the passage:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
A large part of the market was destroyed.
Explanation
Rule: A sentence is in the passive voice when the subject undergoes or receives the action of the verb rather than performing it. The grammatical structure typically features a form of the auxiliary verb "be" paired with a past participle (V3).
Formula: Subject (Receiver) + was/were + Past Participle (V3)
Application: In the phrase "...as the market was ruined" from the text (and mirrored in the choice "was destroyed"), the focus is placed entirely on the target receiving the damage. The other choices utilize active verbs where the grammatical subject is directly performing the action (fought, helped, are investigating).