Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive voice.
People think the government will change the economic policies.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. It is thought that the economic policies will be changed by the government.
The given sentence is in active voice:
'People think the government will change the economic policies.'
It has:
Main verb: think (present simple)
Reported action: the government will change the economic policies (future simple)
To change this into passive voice, we follow two steps:
Step 1: Passive of a reporting verb (like 'think')
We use the impersonal passive construction:
It is thought that...
Step 2: Convert the reported clause into passive:
The government will change the economic policies →
The economic policies will be changed by the government
Now, combine both:
It is thought that the economic policies will be changed by the government.
Why the other options are incorrect:
People thought that the government will change the economic policies.
- Changes the tense of 'think' to past, which is incorrect.
The government will think to change the economic policies.
- Changes both the subject and meaning. 'Will think to change' is not the original intent.
The government has been thinking to change the economic policies.
- Wrong tense and form. Also shifts the subject and meaning.