Choose the correct passive form of the given sentence:
The students have to submit the project files before the Diwali break.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The project files have to be submitted by the students before the Diwali break.
Passive of “have to” + verb:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | the project files | The project files | The project files receive the action, so they become the subject. |
| “Have to” kept | have to submit | have to be submitted | “Have to submit” shows a duty. In the passive it becomes have to be + past participle (V3). “Have” because the files are many. |
| Agent (by ...) | The students | by the students | The students are named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | The students have to submit the project files before the Diwali break. | The project files have to be submitted by the students before the Diwali break. |
“Ought to” works the same way: ought to + verb → ought to be + V3. Example: The council ought to repair the footpath. → The footpath ought to be repaired by the council.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The project files has to be submitted by the students before the Diwali break. — Incorrect. “Has” is for one thing. “The project files” are many, so it must be “have to”.
Option 3: The project files have to submit by the students before the Diwali break. — Incorrect. The word “be” is missing. Without it, the files become the ones that submit something.
Option 4: The project files have been submitted by the students before the Diwali break. — Incorrect. “Have been submitted” is the present perfect. It says the work is already done, so the idea of duty in “have to” is lost.