Change the following sentence into passive voice.
I know him.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → He is known to me.
Active to passive voice (simple present, verb "know"):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | him | He | “Him” becomes “He”. |
| Tense kept | know | is known | Be + past participle in the same tense: simple present “know” becomes “is known”. |
| Agent (to ...) | I | to me | A few verbs take a preposition other than “by”. “Know” takes “to”: “known to me”, not “known by me”. |
| Full sentence | I know him. | He is known to me. |
Example: Everyone knows this fact. → This fact is known to everyone.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: He is known by me. — Incorrect. With "know", the passive uses "to", not "by".
Option 3: He is known with me. — Incorrect. "Known with" is not used in English.
Option 4: He is known near me. — Incorrect. "Near" is a preposition of place and makes no sense here.
Contrast: most verbs take the agent with by. Know takes to (known to me, not known by me).