Change the following sentences into Active Voice by choosing the most appropriate option:-
By whom were you taught French?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Who taught you French?
Passive question with "By whom" into the active voice:
| Change | Passive | Active | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent (by ...) becomes subject | By whom | Who | “By whom” asks about the doer, so in the active voice it becomes Who, the subject. |
| Tense kept | were ... taught | taught | “Were ... taught” is simple past passive, so the active verb is the simple past taught. No “did” is needed because “Who” is the subject. |
| Subject becomes object | you (subject) | you (object) | The passive subject you becomes the object. |
| Full sentence | By whom were you taught French? | Who taught you French? |
"French" stays as it is.
Example: By whom was this letter written? → Who wrote this letter?
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: By whom did you teach French? — Incorrect.
- It makes "you" the teacher, which reverses the meaning.
- "By whom" does not belong in an active question.
Option 2: Who teaches you French? — Incorrect. The tense changes from the past "were taught" to the present "teaches".
Option 4: By who taught your French? — Incorrect. It is ungrammatical: "By who" has no place in the active voice, and "your French" changes the object.