Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: I was struck on the head by the cricket ball
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the transformation of a sentence from active voice to passive voice. The original sentence is in the simple past tense and describes an action in which the subject the cricket ball performs an action on the object me. In the passive form, the object me should become the subject I, and the agent the cricket ball should be introduced with the preposition by. Active Passive questions are very common in grammar sections of competitive exams, so it is important to understand tense changes and correct verb forms.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To convert from active to passive voice, we follow a standard pattern: object of active sentence becomes subject of passive sentence, and we use an appropriate form of the verb to be plus the past participle of the main verb. The original tense must be preserved. Here, struck is simple past, so the passive auxiliary should be was or were, followed by the past participle struck. The agent or doer, the cricket ball, is introduced with by. We must also preserve the rest of the sentence on the head, which describes the location of the impact.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the object me in the active sentence. In the passive sentence, this becomes the subject I.
Step 2: Retain the tense. Since struck is simple past, the passive auxiliary should be was for the singular subject I.
Step 3: Use the past participle of strike, which is struck. So the core passive verb phrase is was struck.
Step 4: Add the remaining phrase on the head to describe where the ball struck, and then introduce the original subject the cricket ball with the preposition by.
Step 5: This yields the sentence: I was struck on the head by the cricket ball.
Step 6: Compare this with the answer options and select the one that matches exactly, which is option b.
Verification / Alternative Check:
To verify, reverse the process and convert the passive sentence back to active voice. Starting from I was struck on the head by the cricket ball, we make the cricket ball the subject and use struck as the simple past verb: The cricket ball struck me on the head. This exactly matches the original sentence, so the passive form is correct. Also, the structure was struck aligns with the rule that the passive of a simple past verb uses was or were followed by the past participle. This confirms that option b is the standard and correct passive construction.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, Struck me on the head the cricket ball, is simply a jumbled and ungrammatical rearrangement; it is neither proper active nor proper passive voice.
Option c, I had been struck on the head by the cricket ball, uses the past perfect tense had been struck instead of the simple past passive, which changes the tense and does not match the original sentence.
Option d, I am striked on the head by the cricket ball, contains the incorrect past participle striked instead of struck and uses the present tense am, which does not preserve the simple past meaning.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners often confuse the past simple and past perfect forms when forming passive sentences and may incorrectly use had been where only was is needed. Another common mistake is to misuse the past participle of irregular verbs, such as writing striked instead of struck. Remember that for the simple past passive, the pattern is subject plus was or were plus past participle. Additionally, the agent introduced by by should only be included when it adds clarity or is required by the question, as in this example.
Final Answer:
The correct passive voice form of the sentence is I was struck on the head by the cricket ball, so option b is correct.
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