Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive voice.
Old Joseph catches these prawns in the backwaters every morning.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → These prawns are caught by old Joseph in the backwaters every morning.
Passive of the simple present with a plural new subject:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | these prawns | These prawns | The prawns receive the action, so they become the subject. |
| Tense kept | catches | are caught | “Catches” is in the simple present, so the passive stays in the simple present: is / are + past participle (V3). “Are” because the prawns are many, though “catches” went with one man. |
| Agent (by ...) | Old Joseph | by old Joseph | Joseph is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | Old Joseph catches these prawns in the backwaters every morning. | These prawns are caught by old Joseph in the backwaters every morning. |
Other simple present verbs work the same way: writes → is / are written, keeps → is / are kept. Example: My aunt bakes these cakes every Christmas. → These cakes are baked by my aunt every Christmas.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: These prawns is caught by old Joseph in the backwaters every morning. — Incorrect. “Is” goes with one thing. The new subject “these prawns” is plural, so it needs “are”.
Option 2: These prawns are catching by old Joseph in the backwaters every morning. — Incorrect. “Catching” is an active form. The passive needs the V3 “caught”.
Option 4: These prawns were caught by old Joseph in the backwaters every morning. — Incorrect. “Were caught” is the simple past. The active “catches” is the simple present.