Question

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive voice.
Does Sneha not lick the butter?

• A. Is the butter being licked by Sneha?
• B. Is the butter not licked by Sneha?
• C. Sneha does not lick the butter?
• D. Was Sneha not licking the butter?

Hint:

To easily convert an interrogative question without getting confused, temporarily rewrite it as a simple statement first! $$\text{Active Question: Does Sneha not lick the butter? } \rightarrow \text{ Active Statement: Sneha does not lick the butter.}$$ $$\text{Passive Statement: The butter is not licked by Sneha. } \rightarrow \text{ Passive Question: Is the butter not licked by Sneha?}$$ This step-by-step approach keeps your grammar intact every single time.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Voice conversion requires shifting the focus from the performer of the action (Active) to the recipient of the action (Passive).
Two fundamental rules must be followed:
1. The original tense of the sentence must be preserved.
2. The sentence type (Interrogative, Assertive, etc.) must remain the same.
The sentence "Does Sneha not lick the butter?" is an Interrogative Negative sentence in the Simple Present Tense.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
For Simple Present Interrogative sentences:
Active Structure: \(Does + Subject + not + V_{1} + Object?\)
Passive Structure: \(Is/Am/Are + New Subject (Object) + not + V_{3} + by + New Object (Subject)?\)
Detailed Explanation:
Let's break down the original sentence:
- Auxiliary Verb: \(Does\) (marks the Simple Present).
- Subject: \(Sneha\).
- Negative word: \(not\).
- Main Verb: \(lick\).
- Object: \(the butter\).
Transformation process:
1. The object "the butter" becomes the new subject. Since "butter" is an uncountable/singular noun, we use the auxiliary verb "Is."
2. The sentence must remain a question, so "Is" comes at the beginning.
3. The negative particle "not" follows the new subject.
4. The main verb "lick" is converted to its past participle form (\(V_{3}\)), which is "licked."
5. The original subject "Sneha" is introduced at the end using "by."
This results in: "Is the butter not licked by Sneha?"
Why others are wrong:
- Option (A) uses "being," which is only for continuous tenses.
- Option (C) changes the structure into an assertive statement, losing the question format.
- Option (D) changes the tense to Past Continuous ("Was... licking").
Step 3: Final Answer:
The passive voice equivalent is "Is the butter not licked by Sneha?" (Option B).