In the following question, a sentence has been given in the active voice (simple past). Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in the passive voice. The scorpion stung the farmer.

Introduction / Context:
This is a straightforward active to passive conversion question in the simple past tense. The active sentence is "The scorpion stung the farmer." The exam requires you to change this into passive voice so that the focus moves from the scorpion to the farmer, while keeping the action and time reference the same.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Active sentence: The scorpion stung the farmer.
• Subject: the scorpion.
• Object: the farmer.
• Verb: stung (simple past of sting).
• Tense: simple past.

Concept / Approach:
For simple past tense, the passive voice structure is: object + was or were + past participle + by + subject. Here, "the farmer" becomes the subject in the passive voice, and "stung" is used as the past participle after "was." The original subject "the scorpion" is introduced by "by" at the end of the sentence. This construction accurately describes what happened to the farmer and retains the simple past time frame.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Move the object "the farmer" to the subject position in the passive sentence.Step 2: Choose "was" as the auxiliary verb because "farmer" is singular and the tense is simple past.Step 3: Use the past participle "stung" after "was."Step 4: Add the agent phrase "by the scorpion" to show who performed the action.Step 5: Combine these elements to form the sentence: The farmer was stung by the scorpion.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify correctness, convert the passive sentence back into active voice. Take "the scorpion" as the subject, use the past tense verb "stung," and place "the farmer" as the object. This gives "The scorpion stung the farmer," which is exactly the original sentence. This confirms that both tense and meaning have been preserved.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B uses "had been stung," which is past perfect and implies a different time relation, not simple past. Option C uses present tense "is stung," which changes the time reference and implies a habitual or current action. Option D uses present perfect "has been stung," which again changes the tense and suggests a different context. Option E uses future tense "will be stung," which does not describe a past event at all.

Common Pitfalls:
When doing simple tense conversions, students sometimes overcomplicate things and shift to perfect or continuous forms, or they confuse past simple with present perfect. The safe strategy is to identify the tense of the main verb first and then apply the corresponding passive pattern. For simple past, this is always "was" or "were" plus the past participle of the verb, followed by the agent if needed.

Final Answer:
The farmer was stung by the scorpion.