Choose the correct passive construction(s) of the given sentence:
The contractor paid the labourers two weeks’ wages on Saturday.
(A) The labourers were paid two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday.
(B) Two weeks’ wages were paid to the labourers by the contractor on Saturday.
(C) The labourers were paid by two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday.
(D) The contractor was paid two weeks’ wages by the labourers on Saturday.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A) and (B) only
Passive of a verb with two objects (simple past):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | the labourers / two weeks’ wages | The labourers (A) or Two weeks’ wages (B) | “Paid” has two objects: the labourers (person) and two weeks’ wages (thing). Either one can become the subject. |
| Tense kept | paid | were paid | “Paid” is in the simple past, so the passive stays in the simple past: was / were + past participle (V3). “Were” because the labourers are many, and “wages” is plural too. |
| “To” before the person | the labourers | to the labourers (B) | When “two weeks’ wages” is the subject (B), “to” comes before “the labourers”. |
| Agent (by ...) | The contractor | by the contractor | The contractor is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | The contractor paid the labourers two weeks’ wages on Saturday. | (A) The labourers were paid two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday. (B) Two weeks’ wages were paid to the labourers by the contractor on Saturday. |
Other verbs with two objects work the same way. Example: Dadi told us a ghost story. → We were told a ghost story by Dadi. / A ghost story was told to us by Dadi.
(A) The labourers were paid two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday. — Correct.
- The person is the subject, and “were paid” keeps the simple past.
(B) Two weeks’ wages were paid to the labourers by the contractor on Saturday. — Correct.
- The thing is the subject, and “to” comes before the labourers.
(C) The labourers were paid by two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday. — Incorrect.
- “By” is wrongly put before “two weeks’ wages”.
- The wages are the thing paid, not the doer. Only the contractor takes “by”.
- Correct form: The labourers were paid two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday.
(D) The contractor was paid two weeks’ wages by the labourers on Saturday. — Incorrect.
- The doer and the receiver are swapped.
- Now the labourers pay the contractor.
- Correct form: The labourers were paid two weeks’ wages by the contractor on Saturday.