Choose the correct passive construction(s) of the given sentence:
People believe that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old.
(A) It is believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old.
(B) The stepwell in the old town is believed to be over five hundred years old.
(C) The stepwell in the old town is believed that it is over five hundred years old.
(D) It was believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A) and (B) only
Passive of a “People believe that ...” sentence:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doer dropped | People | (left out) | “People” is a vague doer, so no “by people” is used. |
| Tense kept | believe | is believed | “Believe” is in the simple present, so the passive stays in the simple present: is + past participle (V3). |
| Two ways to begin | that the stepwell ... is | It is believed that ... is (A) / The stepwell ... is believed to be (B) | Begin with “It is believed that” and keep the rest as it is (A). Or make “the stepwell” the subject and change “is” to “to be” (B). |
| Full sentence | People believe that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old. | (A) It is believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old. (B) The stepwell in the old town is believed to be over five hundred years old. |
Other “People say / believe that ...” sentences change the same way. Example: People say that the well water is sweet. → It is said that the well water is sweet. / The well water is said to be sweet.
(A) It is believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old. — Correct.
- “It is believed that” makes “believe” passive and keeps the that-clause unchanged.
(B) The stepwell in the old town is believed to be over five hundred years old. — Correct.
- The stepwell becomes the subject and “is” of the that-clause becomes “to be”, because both verbs are in the present.
(C) The stepwell in the old town is believed that it is over five hundred years old. — Incorrect.
- It mixes the two ways: after “The stepwell ... is believed” a that-clause cannot follow.
- Correct form: The stepwell in the old town is believed to be over five hundred years old.
(D) It was believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old. — Incorrect.
- “Was believed” is the simple past.
- The active “believe” is the simple present.
- Correct form: It is believed that the stepwell in the old town is over five hundred years old.