Select the option that best express the given sentence in the Passive Voice:
'Somebody has stolen my book.'
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → My book has been stolen.
Active to passive voice (present perfect):
Pattern: has/have + been + past participle.
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | my book | My book | “My book” becomes the subject. |
| Tense kept | has stolen | has been stolen | Be + past participle, in the same tense: present perfect “has stolen” becomes “has been stolen”. |
| Agent (by ...) | Somebody | – (dropped) | An indefinite subject such as “somebody”, “someone”, “people” is usually dropped, so “by somebody” is left out. |
| Full sentence | Somebody has stolen my book. | My book has been stolen. |
Example: Someone has opened the gate. → The gate has been opened.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Somebody stole my book. — Incorrect. Still in the active voice, and the tense changes to the simple past.
Option 3: My book had stolen by somebody. — Incorrect.
- "Been" is missing, so "had stolen" is not a passive form.
- "Had" makes it past perfect. The active sentence is present perfect.
Option 4: My book was stolen by somebody. — Incorrect. A passive, but in the simple past. The present perfect "has stolen" needs "has been stolen".