Choose the correct option to change the following sentence from Active Voice to Passive Voice:
'I am to write a book'
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A book is to be written by me.
Passive of "be + to-infinitive":
"Am to write" shows a plan or duty in the present.
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | a book | A book | “A book” becomes the subject, so “am” changes to “is”. |
| Tense kept | am to write | is to be written | The present “am to” stays present (“is to”), and “to write” becomes to be + past participle: “to be written”. |
| Agent (by ...) | I | by me | “I” becomes “by me”. |
| Full sentence | I am to write a book. | A book is to be written by me. |
Example: We are to finish the work. → The work is to be finished by us.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: A book was to be written by me. — Incorrect. "Was" changes the present "am" into the past.
Option 3: A book is written by me. — Incorrect. It drops the sense of plan or duty ("to be") and states a present fact.
Option 4: A book was written by me. — Incorrect. It turns a plan into a finished past action.