Choose the most appropriate passive construction of the given sentence:
Do not leave the spare gas cylinder near the stove while the burner is still on.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Let the spare gas cylinder not be left near the stove while the burner is still on.
Passive of a negative command (Do not + verb):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let added | Do not | Let | “Do not leave” is a command. A passive command begins with “Let”. |
| Object becomes subject | the spare gas cylinder | the spare gas cylinder | The cylinder receives the action, so it becomes the subject and comes right after “Let”. |
| Verb made passive | leave | not be left | “Not” comes before “be”, and “leave” changes to its past participle (V3), “left”. |
| Agent (by ...) | (you, not said) | (left out) | The doer of a command is “you”, and it is not said. So no “by” phrase is added. |
| Full sentence | Do not leave the spare gas cylinder near the stove while the burner is still on. | Let the spare gas cylinder not be left near the stove while the burner is still on. |
Other negative commands work the same way: Do not + verb + object → Let + object + not be + V3. Example: Do not waste the leftover rice. → Let the leftover rice not be wasted.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The spare gas cylinder is not left near the stove while the burner is still on. — Incorrect. “Is not left” makes a statement, not a command. It tells what happens instead of telling someone what not to do.
Option 2: Let the spare gas cylinder not leave near the stove while the burner is still on. — Incorrect. “Be” and the V3 are missing. “Not leave” is active, so it now says the cylinder itself should not go away.
Option 3: The spare gas cylinder should not have been left near the stove while the burner was still on. — Incorrect. “Should not have been left” points to a past mistake. The given sentence is a command about now.