Choose the option with the correct transformation of the following sentence from active voice to passive voice.
The gardener is watering the plants.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The plants are being watered by the gardener.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| The gardener is watering the plants. | The plants are being watered by the gardener. |
Active to passive voice (present continuous):
- Object becomes subject: "the plants" becomes the subject.
- Tense kept: the present continuous stays, as is/am/are + being + past participle. "Plants" is plural, so "is watering" becomes "are being watered".
- Agent (by ...): the doer goes to the end as "by the gardener".
Example: The boy is flying a kite. → A kite is being flown by the boy.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The plants were watered by the gardener. — Incorrect. "Were watered" is simple past; the present continuous of the active sentence is lost.
Option 3: The plants will be watered by the gardener. — Incorrect. "Will be watered" is simple future; the tense is changed.
Option 4: The plants are been watered by the gardener. — Incorrect. "Been" cannot follow "are"; the continuous passive needs "being" ("are being watered").
Contrast: are being watered (continuous passive, with "being") but are been watered ("been" cannot follow "are").