Choose the correct Assertive sentence of the given sentence:-
Alas that youth should pass away!
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It is sad to think that youth should pass away
Exclamatory to assertive (an exclamation with "Alas"):
Alas is an interjection of sorrow.
| Change | Exclamatory | Assertive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interjection | Alas that | It is sad to think that | The interjection is replaced by words that state the feeling: “It is sad to think that”. The rest of the clause keeps its own words, including “should pass away”. |
| End mark | (!) | (.) | The exclamation mark becomes a full stop. |
| Full sentence | Alas that youth should pass away! | It is sad to think that youth should pass away. |
Example: Alas, I have lost my purse! → It is sad that I have lost my purse.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: It is sad that youth has passed away — Incorrect. "Has passed away" says that youth is already gone. The exclamation regrets that youth must pass, as a general truth.
Option 3: It is sad that youth shall pass away — Incorrect. "Shall" changes the verb of the original and turns the regret into a plain statement about the future.
Option 4: It is sad that youth passes away — Incorrect. The modal "should" of the original is dropped, so the sentence no longer keeps its form.