Choose the most appropriate passive construction of the given sentence:
Our neighbour sends my grandmother fresh vegetables every Sunday.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → My grandmother is sent fresh vegetables by our neighbour every Sunday.
Passive of a verb with two objects (simple present):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | my grandmother | My grandmother | “Sends” has two objects, my grandmother (a person) and fresh vegetables (a thing). Here the person receives the vegetables, so she becomes the subject. |
| Tense kept | sends | is sent | “Sends” is in the simple present, so the passive stays in the simple present: is / are + past participle (V3). “Is” because my grandmother is one person. |
| The other object | fresh vegetables | fresh vegetables | “Fresh vegetables” stays right after “is sent”, with no “to” before it. |
| Agent (by ...) | Our neighbour | by our neighbour | The neighbour is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | Our neighbour sends my grandmother fresh vegetables every Sunday. | My grandmother is sent fresh vegetables by our neighbour every Sunday. |
Other verbs with two objects work the same way, like show, give and lend. Example: The guide shows the tourists the old fort every morning. → The tourists are shown the old fort by the guide every morning.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: My grandmother was sent fresh vegetables by our neighbour every Sunday. — Incorrect. “Was sent” is the simple past. The active “sends” is the simple present.
Option 3: My grandmother is sent to fresh vegetables by our neighbour every Sunday. — Incorrect. “To” is wrongly put before the vegetables. When the person is the subject, the thing comes straight after “is sent”.
Option 4: Fresh vegetables are sent by my grandmother to our neighbour every Sunday. — Incorrect. This turns the meaning around. Now the grandmother sends the vegetables to the neighbour.