Change the voice of the following sentence into Passive Voice:
He gave me the books.
Choose the correct option:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The books were given to me by him
Active to passive voice (simple past, two objects):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | me the books | The books ... to me | The direct object “the books” moves to the front. The other object “me” stays after the verb as “to me”. |
| Tense kept | gave | were given | Be + past participle in the same tense: simple past “gave” becomes “were given” (plural subject “books”). |
| Agent (by ...) | He | by him | “He” becomes “by him”. |
| Full sentence | He gave me the books. | The books were given to me by him |
Example: She sent us a card. → A card was sent to us by her.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The books are given to me by him — Incorrect. "Are given" is the simple present passive. The active verb "gave" is in the past.
Option 3: The books had been given to me by him — Incorrect. "Had been given" is the past perfect passive (active: "had given").
Option 4: The books will be given to me by him — Incorrect. "Will be given" is the future passive (active: "will give").