In the following question, a sentence has been given in the active voice (negative imperative). Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in the passive voice. Do not insult the poor.

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of converting negative imperative sentences from the active voice to the passive voice. The original sentence is "Do not insult the poor." Imperatives give commands, requests, or instructions. When converted to passive voice, English often uses the structure "Let" plus an appropriate passive form of the verb. You must choose the option that correctly preserves both negativity and politeness while shifting to passive voice.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Active imperative sentence: Do not insult the poor.
• Hidden subject: you (understood in all imperatives).
• Object: the poor (a collective noun referring to poor people).
• The sentence is negative because of "not."
• We need a passive form that keeps the negative command.

Concept / Approach:
In English, when turning an imperative sentence into the passive voice, we usually use the pattern "Let + object + be + past participle." For negative imperatives, "not" is placed before "be," giving "Let the poor not be insulted." This preserves the sense of a strong instruction while placing the focus on the receiver "the poor" rather than on the doer, who is not named.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the object "the poor," which will become the grammatical focus in the passive form.Step 2: Recall the passive structure for imperatives: Let + object + be + past participle.Step 3: Insert the negative word "not" before "be" to maintain the negative command.Step 4: Use the past participle "insulted" as the main verb in the passive construction.Step 5: The resulting sentence is "Let the poor not be insulted," which is grammatically correct and matches the meaning of the original sentence.

Verification / Alternative check:
The meaning of "Do not insult the poor" is that nobody should insult poor people. The passive "Let the poor not be insulted" expresses the same idea by focusing on what must happen to the poor rather than on what the subject must do. Both clearly prohibit any act of insulting the poor. This semantic equivalence confirms that the transformation is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"The poor are not insulted" sounds like a simple present statement of fact, not a command or instruction. "The poor is not insulted" is grammatically incorrect because "the poor" is plural and must take "are," not "is." "Let the poor be not insulted" is awkward and unnatural in modern English word order because "not" is wrongly placed after "be." "The poor should not be insulted" gives a general recommendation using "should," which changes the tone from direct imperative to suggestion, so it does not match the typical exam pattern for a passive imperative.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often convert imperatives into simple present statements and forget that the original sentence is a command, not a description. Another common error is incorrect placement of "not" and using unnatural word order in passive constructions. As a rule, remember that for negative passive imperatives, the most natural pattern is "Let + object + not + be + past participle."

Final Answer:
Let the poor not be insulted.