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UPSC MainsENGLISH-COMPULSORY20211 Marks
Q43.

Has anyone ever hypnotized you? (Change into passive voice)

How to Approach

This question tests the understanding of voice – active and passive. The candidate needs to transform the given active voice sentence into its passive equivalent. The answer should demonstrate correct grammatical construction and understanding of the rules governing voice change. A simple, direct transformation is expected, focusing on accurate application of grammatical principles. No elaborate explanation is required, just the correct passive voice sentence.

Model Answer

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Introduction

The concept of voice in grammar dictates whether a verb's subject performs the action (active voice) or receives the action (passive voice). Transforming sentences between these voices is a fundamental skill in English language proficiency. The question specifically asks for the conversion of an active voice sentence – "Has anyone ever hypnotized you?" – into its passive voice counterpart. This requires understanding how the subject, verb, and object are rearranged during the transformation.

The active voice sentence "Has anyone ever hypnotized you?" can be transformed into the passive voice as follows:

Passive Voice Transformation

The key to changing an active voice sentence to passive voice involves the following steps:

  • Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence.
  • The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
  • The verb changes to a form of 'to be' + past participle of the main verb.
  • The subject of the active sentence often becomes the object of the preposition 'by' in the passive sentence (though it can be omitted if unimportant).

Applying these rules to the given sentence:

  • Active Voice: Has anyone ever hypnotized you?
  • Passive Voice: Have you ever been hypnotized (by anyone)?

Note that the 'by anyone' part is often omitted in passive voice constructions when the agent is unknown or unimportant. The core transformation focuses on shifting the emphasis from the hypnotizer to the person being hypnotized.

Grammatical Considerations

The tense remains consistent during the transformation. The original sentence uses the present perfect tense ("has hypnotized"), which translates to "have been hypnotized" in the passive voice. The auxiliary verb 'have' is used because the subject 'you' is implied to be plural or general.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the passive voice transformation of the sentence "Has anyone ever hypnotized you?" is "Have you ever been hypnotized (by anyone)?". This demonstrates a clear understanding of grammatical voice and the rules governing its conversion. The passive voice emphasizes the action performed *on* the subject rather than the subject performing the action itself, a key distinction in English grammar.

Answer Length

This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.

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Additional Resources

Key Definitions

Active Voice
Active voice is a grammatical construction where the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. The subject is 'active' in carrying out the action.
Passive Voice
Passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject receives the action expressed by the verb. The subject is 'passive' – acted upon.

Key Statistics

Studies suggest that passive voice constructions are more common in scientific writing (approximately 20-30% of sentences) compared to general prose (around 10%).

Source: Based on corpus linguistics research (knowledge cutoff 2021)

Examples

News Reporting

News reports often utilize passive voice to maintain objectivity. For example, instead of saying "The police arrested the suspect," a report might state "The suspect was arrested by the police."

Frequently Asked Questions

▶Why use passive voice?

Passive voice is used when the action is more important than the actor, when the actor is unknown, or to maintain a formal or objective tone.

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