Identify the correct passive form of the following sentence from the given options:-
Someone has stolen my purse.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → My purse has been stolen.
Active to passive voice (present perfect):
| Change | Active | Passive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Object becomes subject | my purse | My purse | The object “my purse” becomes the subject of the passive sentence. |
| Tense kept | has stolen | has been stolen | Be + past participle in the same tense: present perfect “has stolen” becomes “has been stolen”. |
| Agent (by ...) | Someone | – (left out) | “By someone” is left out, because the doer is unknown. |
| Full sentence | Someone has stolen my purse. | My purse has been stolen. |
Example: Somebody has broken the window. → The window has been broken.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: My purse is stolen — Incorrect. "Is stolen" is the simple present passive. The active sentence is in the present perfect, which needs "has been stolen".
Option 2: My purse has stolen. — Incorrect. Without "been" the verb stays active: it would mean that the purse has stolen something.
Option 3: My purse was stolen. — Incorrect. "Was stolen" is the simple past passive. It changes the tense of the original sentence.
Contrast: the present perfect passive is has/have been + past participle. "Is stolen" is the simple present and "was stolen" the simple past.