Choose the most appropriate passive construction of the given sentence:
The class teacher sent for Aman’s parents after the unit test.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Aman’s parents were sent for by the class teacher after the unit test.
Passive of a verb with a preposition (simple past):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | Aman’s parents | Aman’s parents | Aman’s parents receive the action, so they become the subject. |
| Tense kept | sent for | were sent for | “Sent for” is in the simple past, so the passive stays in the simple past: was / were + past participle (V3). “Were” because the parents are two. |
| Preposition kept | for | for (right after “sent”) | “Send for” means “ask someone to come”. “For” is part of the verb, so it stays. |
| Agent (by ...) | The class teacher | by the class teacher | The class teacher is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | The class teacher sent for Aman’s parents after the unit test. | Aman’s parents were sent for by the class teacher after the unit test. |
Other verbs with a preposition work the same way, like laugh at, look into and take care of. Example: The bank looked into my complaint. → My complaint was looked into by the bank.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Aman’s parents were sent by the class teacher after the unit test. — Incorrect. “For” is dropped. “Were sent” means the parents were sent somewhere, which changes the meaning.
Option 3: Aman’s parents was sent for by the class teacher after the unit test. — Incorrect. “Was” goes with one person. “Aman’s parents” is plural, so it needs “were”.
Option 4: Aman’s parents have been sent for by the class teacher after the unit test. — Incorrect. “Have been sent for” is the present perfect. The active “sent for” is the simple past.