Question

The question, Can you help the poor and the needy? Can be re-written in the passive voice as

• A. Can the poor and the needy be helped?
• B. Whether the poor and the needy be helped?
• C. Could the poor and the needy be helped?
• D. Would the poor and the needy be helped?

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Can the poor and the needy be helped?

Understanding Active and Passive Voice Transformation

• Active Voice: The subject performs the action. Example: 'Ram ate the apple.' Here, 'Ram' (subject) performs the action 'ate'.
• Passive Voice: The subject receives the action. The structure is typically: Object + form of 'to be' + past participle of the verb + (by + subject). Example: 'The apple was eaten by Ram.' Here, 'the apple' (object/new subject) receives the action 'was eaten'.
• Interrogative Sentences (Questions): Transforming questions involves a slight modification. The auxiliary verb (like 'can', 'will', 'is') often moves to the beginning of the sentence.
• Rule for Modal Verbs (like 'Can'): When the active voice question starts with a modal verb, the passive voice transformation generally follows this pattern: Modal Verb + Object + be + Past Participle + (by + Subject)?
• Applying the Rule: In the question 'Can you help the poor and the needy?', the subject is 'you', the verb is 'help', and the object is 'the poor and the needy'.
• Transformation Steps:
  • Identify the object: 'the poor and the needy'. This becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
  • Use the modal verb 'Can' at the beginning.
  • Add the appropriate form of 'to be', which is 'be' after modal verbs.
  • Use the past participle of the main verb 'help', which is 'helped'.
  • Optionally, add 'by' followed by the original subject ('you').
• Resulting Passive Question: Combining these steps, we get: 'Can the poor and the needy be helped (by you)?' The 'by you' is often omitted in passive constructions, especially when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
• Competitive Exam Relevance: Questions on active/passive voice are common in English grammar sections of various competitive exams (e.g., SSC CGL, IBPS, UPSC CAPF, NDA). Mastering these transformations is crucial for scoring well. Pay close attention to modal verbs, tenses, and the placement of the auxiliary verb 'be'.