In the following question, a sentence has been given in the active voice (present perfect). Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in the passive voice. The students have dedicated an issue of the magazine to him.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: An issue of the magazine has been dedicated to him by the students.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This problem is another example of converting a present perfect sentence from active to passive voice. The original sentence is "The students have dedicated an issue of the magazine to him." In the passive voice, the focus moves from "the students" to "an issue of the magazine," while the tense and overall meaning must remain the same.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Active sentence: The students have dedicated an issue of the magazine to him.
  • Subject: the students.
  • Object: an issue of the magazine.
  • Indirect object: him.
  • Tense: present perfect (have dedicated).
  • We must produce a passive sentence that keeps the present perfect sense.


Concept / Approach:
For present perfect tense in the active voice, the form is subject + have or has + past participle. In passive voice, this becomes new subject (old object) + have or has + been + past participle + by + old subject. Since "an issue of the magazine" is singular, we use "has been dedicated." The person to whom the issue is dedicated remains indicated by "to him," and the original subject appears as "by the students." This structure clearly shows that the dedication has already been done and emphasises the issue itself.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the object: an issue of the magazine.Step 2: Move this object to subject position in the passive sentence.Step 3: Form the present perfect passive: has been dedicated.Step 4: Retain the phrase "to him" to show the person receiving the dedication.Step 5: Add the agent phrase "by the students" to indicate who performed the dedication.Step 6: The complete passive sentence is: An issue of the magazine has been dedicated to him by the students.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify correctness, convert the passive back to active voice. Take "the students" as the subject, bring back "have dedicated," and make "an issue of the magazine" the object, with "to him" as the prepositional phrase. This yields "The students have dedicated an issue of the magazine to him," which is the original sentence. This confirms that the transformation is accurate and preserves the intended meaning.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A uses "had been dedicated," which is past perfect and therefore does not match the original tense. Option C uses "have been dedicated" with a singular subject "an issue," which should take "has," not "have." Option D uses simple present passive "is dedicated," which alters the time reference. Option E uses simple past "was dedicated," again failing to represent the present perfect aspect of the original sentence.


Common Pitfalls:
Typical errors include changing the tense unintentionally or using the wrong auxiliary form with a singular subject. Many learners also forget to keep the indirect object phrase ("to him") in the passive sentence, but dropping it would change the meaning. Always check number agreement and ensure that the entire sense of the original sentence, including both direct and indirect objects, is maintained in the passive version.


Final Answer:
An issue of the magazine has been dedicated to him by the students.

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