Choose the correct option to change the given sentence into Passive Voice:
"Some boys were helping the wounded lady".
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The wounded lady was being helped by some boys.
Passive voice of the past continuous:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | the wounded lady | The wounded lady | “The wounded lady” becomes the subject. |
| Tense kept | were helping | was being helped | Past continuous passive = was/were + being + past participle. “The wounded lady” is singular, so “was”. The past participle of help is “helped”: “being helped”. |
| Agent (by ...) | Some boys | by some boys | The doer follows “by”: “by some boys”. |
| Full sentence | Some boys were helping the wounded lady. | The wounded lady was being helped by some boys. |
Example: They were painting the house. → The house was being painted.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The wounded lady was helped by some boys. — Incorrect. "was helped" is the simple past passive. It drops "being" and loses the continuous sense of "were helping".
Option 3: The wounded lady were being helped by some boys. — Incorrect. "were" does not agree with the singular subject "the wounded lady".
Option 4: The wounded lady has been being helped by some boys. — Incorrect. "has been being helped" is a present perfect continuous passive, a different tense, and a form avoided in standard English.