Change the voice of the following sentence from Passive to Active:
"The bird was rescued by a kind boy."
Choose the appropriate option:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A kind boy rescued the bird.
Passive to active voice (simple past):
| Change | Passive | Active | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent (by ...) becomes subject | by a kind boy | A kind boy | The doer after “by”, “a kind boy”, becomes the subject. |
| Tense kept | was rescued | rescued | “Was rescued” becomes the simple past active “rescued”. |
| Subject becomes object | The bird | the bird | The passive subject “the bird” becomes the object. |
| Full sentence | The bird was rescued by a kind boy. | A kind boy rescued the bird. |
Nothing else is changed.
Example: The letter was posted by Ravi. → Ravi posted the letter.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: A boy rescued the bird out of kindness. — Incorrect. It changes "a kind boy" into a reason, "out of kindness", so the wording is altered.
Option 2: The boy must have been kind to rescue the bird. — Incorrect. It adds a guess ("must have been") and changes the meaning.
Option 3: A boy was kind enough to rescue the bird. — Incorrect. It is a new sentence about the boy's kindness, not a change of voice.