Special Agent Entrance Practice Exam

What transformation occurs when a sentence shifts from active to passive voice?

1. The subject becomes the object

2. The verb is omitted

3. The tense changes

4. The meaning becomes unclear

The correct answer is: The subject becomes the object

When a sentence shifts from active to passive voice, the primary transformation that occurs is that the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence. In active voice, the subject performs the action of the verb, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. This change highlights the action itself or the recipient of the action rather than the doer. For instance, consider the active sentence "The cat chased the mouse," where "the cat" is the subject performing the action. In the passive construction, this would become "The mouse was chased by the cat," where "the mouse" is now the subject receiving the action, and the original subject "the cat" becomes part of a prepositional phrase. This transformation allows for different emphasis in the sentence, focusing on the action or the recipient rather than the initiator. The other options do not accurately describe what happens in a voice change. The verb is not omitted; instead, it is typically restructured to fit the passive format. While the tense can remain the same depending on the original construction, it is not mandated to change, hence it does not represent a fundamental characteristic of the voice transformation. Lastly, the meaning of the sentence remains clear, although