Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
The transformation of sentences between active and passive voice is a fundamental aspect of English grammar. The active voice emphasizes the actor performing the action, while the passive voice emphasizes the action itself or the receiver of the action. Understanding this distinction is crucial for clear and effective communication. This skill is also tested in comprehension and précis writing sections of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, assessing a candidate’s linguistic proficiency. The given sentence, "Somebody stole my laptop," requires conversion to the passive voice, adhering to grammatical rules and maintaining the original meaning.
The active voice sentence is: "Somebody stole my laptop." To convert this into the passive voice, we need to follow these steps:
Identifying the Components
- Subject: Somebody
- Verb: stole
- Object: my laptop
Constructing the Passive Voice
The passive voice is formed using the auxiliary verb 'to be' (in the appropriate tense) + the past participle of the main verb. In this case, the verb 'steal' has the past participle 'stolen'.
Since the subject 'Somebody' is unknown or unimportant, we can omit it in the passive voice. The sentence becomes:
"My laptop was stolen."
Explanation of Changes
- The object 'my laptop' becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- The verb 'stole' is changed to its past participle 'stolen' and preceded by the appropriate form of 'to be' – 'was' (past tense, singular subject).
- The subject 'Somebody' is removed as it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Alternative Passive Voice Construction (Less Common)
While less common, we could also include 'by somebody' to indicate the actor, though it's generally omitted when the actor is unknown or unimportant:
"My laptop was stolen by somebody."
However, the more concise and natural passive voice construction is: "My laptop was stolen."
Conclusion
In conclusion, the passive voice transformation of the sentence "Somebody stole my laptop" is "My laptop was stolen." This demonstrates a correct application of grammatical rules, shifting the focus from the actor to the action itself. The ability to accurately convert between active and passive voice is a fundamental skill in English language proficiency, essential for effective written communication and comprehension, and frequently assessed in competitive examinations like the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
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.