Choose the correct passive construction(s) of the given sentence:
Did the doctor examine Grandpa’s eyes yesterday?
(A) Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?
(B) Was Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?
(C) Did Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?
(D) Grandpa’s eyes were examined by the doctor yesterday?
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A) only
Passive of a question beginning with “Did”:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Did” becomes “Were” | Did | Were | “Did examine” is in the simple past, so the passive question begins with Was / Were. “Were” because the eyes are two. |
| Object becomes subject | Grandpa’s eyes | Grandpa’s eyes (after “Were”) | Grandpa’s eyes receive the action, so they become the subject. In a question, the subject comes after “Were”. |
| Main verb changed | examine | examined | “Examine” changes to its past participle (V3), “examined”, after “Were Grandpa’s eyes”. |
| Agent (by ...) | the doctor | by the doctor | The doctor is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | Did the doctor examine Grandpa’s eyes yesterday? | Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday? |
Other questions with “Did” work the same way: Did + doer + verb + object? → Was / Were + object + V3 + by + doer? Example: Did the tailor shorten your kurta? → Was your kurta shortened by the tailor?
(A) Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday? — Correct.
- “Were” agrees with “eyes”, the V3 “examined” follows the subject, and the question order is right.
(B) Was Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday? — Incorrect.
- “Was” goes with one thing.
- “Eyes” is plural, so it needs “Were”.
- Correct form: Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?
(C) Did Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday? — Incorrect.
- “Did” cannot make a passive.
- The passive question needs “Were” with the V3.
- Correct form: Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?
(D) Grandpa’s eyes were examined by the doctor yesterday? — Incorrect.
- The word order is that of a statement.
- A question must begin with “Were”.
- Correct form: Were Grandpa’s eyes examined by the doctor yesterday?