Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive voice.
They think that the Governor will resign.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. It is thought that the Governor will resign.
The given sentence is:
'They think that the Governor will resign.'
This is an example of a complex sentence with a reporting verb (think) and a reported clause (that the Governor will resign).
To convert such a sentence into passive voice, we focus on changing the reporting verb structure.
Passive Voice Construction:
In such cases, the passive structure commonly used is:
'It is thought that...'
This maintains the original meaning while placing the emphasis away from the subject ('they').
Let’s evaluate the options:
They thought that the Governor would be resigning. – Changes both the tense and voice.
It is thought that the Governor will be resigning. – Tense is slightly different ('will resign' vs. 'will be resigning').
They think that the Governor is resigning. – Active voice, and tense has changed.
It is thought that the Governor will resign. – Correct transformation into passive voice with the same tense and meaning.