Choose the correct active form of the given sentence:
The festival lanterns are being hung by the children along the lane.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The children are hanging the festival lanterns along the lane.
Active form of the present continuous passive:
| Change | Passive | Active | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doer becomes subject | by the children | The children | The children do the hanging, so they become the subject. |
| Tense kept | are being hung | are hanging | “Are being hung” is the present continuous passive, so the active stays in the present continuous: is / are + -ing. “Being” and the past participle (V3) “hung” go. “Are” because the children are many. |
| Subject becomes object | The festival lanterns | the festival lanterns (after the verb) | The lanterns receive the action, so they go after “are hanging”. |
| Full sentence | The festival lanterns are being hung by the children along the lane. | The children are hanging the festival lanterns along the lane. |
Other present continuous passives change back the same way: is / are being + V3 → is / are + -ing. Example: The fence is being painted by Arjun. → Arjun is painting the fence.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The children were hanging the festival lanterns along the lane. — Incorrect. “Were hanging” is the past continuous. The passive “are being hung” is in the present.
Option 3: The children hang the festival lanterns along the lane. — Incorrect. “Hang” is the simple present. It loses the idea of work going on right now.
Option 4: The children have been hanging the festival lanterns along the lane. — Incorrect. “Have been hanging” is the present perfect continuous. It adds the idea of how long the work has gone on.