Question

The sentence has been given in the Active/ Passive voice. From the given options, choose the one which best expresses the given sentence in the Passive/Active voice.
Can we send it by air?
A)Can this be sent by air?
B)Can it be sent by air?
C)Can it go by air?
D)Can it be send by air?

Answer 1

Hint: In the above question, the pronoun is the subject. We must rephrase the question in such a way that the action and the object, send and it, become the subject.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 In the active voice, the emphasis is on the subject. The subject is usually performing some action or deed.
E.g., Jane placed a napkin on the table.
Here, Jane is the subject and napkin is the object. The object is subjected to an action by the subject i.e., a napkin is kept on the table and it is Jane who keeps the napkin.
Now how would we reverse this to form the passive voice? In the passive voice, the emphasis is on the action. Hence, it is the action that acts as the focal point of the sentence.
e.g. A napkin is placed on the table by Jane.
Here we have inverted the sentence so that the action comes first, and it is then followed by the subject. The object is the focus of an action done by the subject.
In the above question, ‘We’ is the subject. “Send’ is the action. ‘It’ is the object.
Now we must reframe this in such a manner that the action and the ensuing object come first. This gives us the answer- Can it be sent by air?

Note: Option A has the wrong object. Option C has the wrong verb. Option D has the wrong tense.