Choose the correct passive form of the given sentence:
Someone should have informed the parents about the change in the exam date.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The parents should have been informed about the change in the exam date.
Passive of “should have” + verb:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | the parents | The parents | The parents receive the action, so they become the subject. |
| Modal form kept | should have informed | should have been informed | “Should have informed” talks of a past duty that was not done. In the passive it becomes should have been + past participle (V3). “Should have” stays the same. |
| Agent (by ...) | Someone | (left out) | “Someone” does not tell us who the doer is. So “by someone” is dropped in the passive. |
| Full sentence | Someone should have informed the parents about the change in the exam date. | The parents should have been informed about the change in the exam date. |
Other modals work the same way: could have + V3 → could have been + V3, must have + V3 → must have been + V3. Example: Someone must have taken my umbrella. → My umbrella must have been taken.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The parents should be informed about the change in the exam date. — Incorrect. “Should be informed” is the passive of “should inform”. It talks of a duty now or later. The active sentence talks of a past duty.
Option 3: The parents had been informed about the change in the exam date. — Incorrect. “Should” is dropped. This sentence says the parents were told. The active sentence says they were not told, though they should have been.
Option 4: The parents should have informed about the change in the exam date. — Incorrect. The word “been” is missing. Without it, the parents become the ones who should have informed someone.