Choose the correct passive form of the given sentence:
The village postman used to deliver letters on a bicycle.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Letters used to be delivered by the village postman on a bicycle.
Passive of “used to” + verb:
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | letters | Letters | The letters receive the action, so they become the subject. |
| “Used to” kept | used to deliver | used to be delivered | “Used to deliver” shows a past habit. The passive keeps “used to” and adds be + past participle (V3). |
| Agent (by ...) | The village postman | by the village postman | The postman is named, so the doer comes after “by”. |
| Full sentence | The village postman used to deliver letters on a bicycle. | Letters used to be delivered by the village postman on a bicycle. |
Every “used to” sentence works the same way: used to + verb → used to be + V3. Example: Nani used to tell us stories at night. → Stories used to be told to us by Nani at night.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Letters were used to be delivered by the village postman on a bicycle. — Incorrect. The extra “were” is wrong. “Used to” is never made passive itself.
Option 3: Letters used to deliver by the village postman on a bicycle. — Incorrect. The word “be” and the V3 are missing. Now the letters seem to do the delivering.
Option 4: Letters are used to being delivered by the village postman on a bicycle. — Incorrect. “Are used to” means “are in the habit of” now. It does not show a past habit.