Choose the most appropriate passive construction for the sentence given below.
Everyone knows the facts of the case very well.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The facts of the case are very well known.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Everyone knows the facts of the case very well. | The facts of the case are very well known. |
Active to passive voice (simple present):
- Object becomes subject: the object "the facts of the case" moves to the front of the sentence.
- Tense kept: the simple present stays, as is/are + past participle. The new subject "facts" is plural, so "knows" → "are known".
- Agent (by ...): "everyone" is a general doer that adds nothing, so it is usually left out.
Example: People speak English all over the world. → English is spoken all over the world.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Everyone knows very well the facts of the case. — Incorrect. It is still in the active voice; only the words have been moved around.
Option 3: Very well are known the facts of the case. — Incorrect. The verb comes before the subject; a passive statement keeps the normal order: subject + are known.
Option 4: The facts of the case is very well known by everyone. — Incorrect. The singular verb "is" does not agree with the plural subject "facts"; it must be "are".