Choose the correct passive form of the given sentence:
The librarian lent Kavya two novels for the summer break.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Kavya was lent two novels by the librarian for the summer break.
Passive of a verb with two objects (simple past):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person becomes subject | Kavya | Kavya | Kavya receives the novels, so she becomes the subject. |
| Tense kept | lent | was lent | “Lent” is in the simple past, so the passive stays in the simple past: was / were + past participle (V3). “Was” because Kavya is one person. |
| Second object kept | two novels | two novels | “Two novels” is the second object. It stays right after “was lent”. |
| Agent (by ...) | The librarian | by the librarian | The librarian is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | The librarian lent Kavya two novels for the summer break. | Kavya was lent two novels by the librarian for the summer break. |
Other verbs with two objects (give, tell, show, lend) work the same way: the person usually becomes the subject. Example: Dadi told the children a story. → The children were told a story by Dadi.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Kavya lent two novels by the librarian for the summer break. — Incorrect. “Was” is missing. “Kavya lent” makes Kavya the one who lends.
Option 2: Kavya has been lent two novels by the librarian for the summer break. — Incorrect. “Has been lent” is the present perfect. The active “lent” is the simple past.
Option 3: The librarian was lent two novels by Kavya for the summer break. — Incorrect. It reverses who does what: now Kavya lends the novels to the librarian.