Choose the most suitable option to convert the following sentence into Active Voice:
You should be prepared for war.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Prepare for war.
Advice to "you" in the passive (should be + past participle):
A sentence that gives advice or an order to the listener, "You should be + past participle", is turned into the active voice as an imperative.
| Change | Passive | Active | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | You | – (understood) | The subject “you” is understood and dropped. |
| Verb | should be prepared | Prepare | “Should be + past participle” becomes the base form of the verb. |
| Full sentence | You should be prepared for war. | Prepare for war. |
The rest of the sentence stays as it is.
Example: You should be dressed by eight. → Dress by eight.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: You shall prepare for war. — Incorrect. "Shall" makes it a statement about the future, not advice, and changes the modal of the given sentence.
Option 2: You will prepare for war. — Incorrect. "Will" turns the advice into a prediction or a firm order and changes the modal.
Option 3: You should have prepared for war. — Incorrect. "Should have + past participle" refers to the past and blames the listener for something not done. The given sentence is advice for now.