Change the given sentence of active voice into passive voice. Select the appropriate option.
The Prime-minister was giving the speech.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The speech was being given by the Prime-minister.
Active to passive voice (past continuous):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | the speech | The speech | “The speech” moves to the front. |
| Tense kept | was giving | was being given | Be + past participle, in the same tense: past continuous “was giving” becomes “was being given” (was + being + past participle). |
| Agent (by ...) | The Prime-minister | by the Prime-minister | The doer goes to the end as “by the Prime-minister”. |
| Full sentence | The Prime-minister was giving the speech. | The speech was being given by the Prime-minister. |
Example: The house was being painted when we arrived.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The speech was given by the Prime-minister. — Incorrect. "Was given" is the passive of the simple past ("gave"). It loses the continuous sense of "was giving".
Option 3: The speech was been given by the Prime-minister. — Incorrect. "Was been" is ungrammatical. The continuous passive needs "being", not "been".
Option 4: The speech had been given by the Prime-minister. — Incorrect. "Had been given" is the passive of the past perfect ("had given"), a different tense.