Choose the correct passive construction from the given options for the following sentence:-
They will laugh at you.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → You will be laughed at by them.
Active to passive voice (simple future, prepositional verb):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | you | You | The object “you” becomes the subject You. |
| Tense kept | will laugh at | will be laughed at | Will + be + past participle in the same tense: “will laugh at” becomes will be laughed at. The preposition “at” stays with the verb. |
| Agent (by ...) | They | by them | The doer “They” becomes by them. |
| Full sentence | They will laugh at you. | You will be laughed at by them. |
Example: People will talk about this film. → This film will be talked about by people.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: You can be laughed at by them. — Incorrect. "Can" shows ability or possibility. It changes the certain future "will" into a different meaning.
Option 3: You may be laughed at by them. — Incorrect. "May" shows possibility or permission. It makes the future action only possible, not certain.
Option 4: You will have been laughed at by them. — Incorrect. "Will have been laughed at" is the future perfect passive, used for an action completed by a future time. The original is in the simple future.
Contrast: the passive keeps the modal of the active sentence: will → will be + past participle, can → can be + past participle, may → may be + past participle.