Change the voice of the following sentence from the passive to Active.
"The essay was edited by the professor."
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The professor edited the essay.
Passive to active (simple past):
| Change | Passive | Active | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent (by ...) becomes subject | by the professor | The professor | The agent in the by-phrase, “the professor”, becomes the subject. |
| Subject becomes object | The essay | the essay | The subject of the passive, “the essay”, becomes the object. |
| Tense kept | was edited | edited | “Was edited” (simple past passive) becomes the simple past “edited”. |
| Full sentence | The essay was edited by the professor. | The professor edited the essay. |
Example: The match was won by our team. → Our team won the match.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The professor found the essay and edited it. — Incorrect. It adds an action, "found", that the original sentence does not contain.
Option 3: The professor edited something which was the essay. — Incorrect. The clause "something which was the essay" is wordy and unnatural. A change of voice keeps the same words in the active pattern.
Option 4: The professor was edited by the essay. — Incorrect. It is still passive, and it reverses the roles: the essay cannot edit the professor.