Choose the most appropriate option to convert the following sentence in Active Voice into Passive Voice:
The labourers were digging a canal.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A canal was being dug by the labourers.
Active to passive (past continuous):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | a canal | A canal | The object “a canal” becomes the subject of the passive sentence. |
| Tense kept | were digging | was being dug | The past continuous stays, so was/were + verb-ing becomes was/were + being + past participle. “A canal” is singular, so “was”. Past participle of dig: “dug”. |
| Agent (by ...) | The labourers | by the labourers | The doer comes at the end with “by”: “by the labourers”. |
| Full sentence | The labourers were digging a canal. | A canal was being dug by the labourers. |
Example: The boys were painting the wall. → The wall was being painted by the boys.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: A canal is being dug by the labourers. — Incorrect. "is being dug" is the present continuous. The action was in the past.
Option 3: A canal was dug by the labourers. — Incorrect. "was dug" is the simple past. It loses the continuous sense of "were digging".
Option 4: A canal had been dug by the labourers. — Incorrect. "had been dug" is the past perfect, which says the work was already finished.