Which of the following options is the most suitable conversion of the following sentence into active voice?
Was the letter delivered by the postman yesterday evening?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
To convert a sentence from passive to active voice, you need to identify the subject, the object, and the verb tense.
Passive Sentence: "Was the letter delivered by the postman yesterday evening?"
Subject (in passive): The letter (the receiver of the action)
Agent (to become subject): The postman (the doer of the action)
Tense: Simple Past Interrogative ("Was... delivered")
Step-by-Step Conversion
Identify the Subject: In the active voice, the "postman" becomes the subject.
Determine the Tense: The original sentence uses the simple past tense ("Was... delivered"). In an active interrogative sentence in the simple past, we use the auxiliary verb "Did" followed by the base form of the main verb.
Structure the Sentence: Did + Subject (the postman) + Verb (deliver) + Object (the letter) + Time Reference (yesterday evening)?
Evaluating the Options:
“Did the postman deliver the letter yesterday evening?” is correct. This maintains the Simple Past tense and correctly structures the active interrogative sentence.