In this English grammar question, a sentence is given in active voice. Select the option that best expresses the same idea in passive voice. Sentence: "The authorities are mistreating the prisoners."

Introduction / Context:

The original sentence describes an action that is happening at the present time. It states that the authorities are mistreating the prisoners. To answer correctly, you must choose the passive voice sentence that keeps this sense of an ongoing present action and makes the prisoners the subject.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Original sentence: "The authorities are mistreating the prisoners."

- Subject in the active sentence: "the authorities".

- Object: "the prisoners".

- The tense is present continuous: "are mistreating".

- The passive version must show that the prisoners are currently being treated badly by the authorities.

Concept / Approach:

For present continuous passive, the pattern is "is being" or "are being" plus the past participle. Here, "the prisoners" is plural, so we use "are being mistreated". The phrase "by the authorities" identifies who is performing the action. The passive form must continue to highlight the ongoing nature of the mistreatment.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify subject, verb, and object. Subject: the authorities. Verb phrase: are mistreating. Object: the prisoners. Step 2: Move "the prisoners" into the subject position. Step 3: Replace "are mistreating" with "are being mistreated". Step 4: Add the phrase "by the authorities" after the verb phrase. Step 5: Make sure the sentence still describes an action that is in progress now.

Verification / Alternative check:

The sentence "The prisoners are being mistreated by the authorities." uses the correct present continuous passive, clearly identifies the prisoners as the group that suffers the action, and names the authorities as the agents. The meaning matches the original active sentence, so this is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Some choices use simple present or present perfect instead of present continuous, which changes the time focus of the statement. Others switch to future tense or create heavy noun phrases that do not sound natural, such as "mistreating of the prisoners has been by the authorities". These options either misrepresent the ongoing nature of the mistreatment or break standard grammar patterns, so they cannot be correct.

Common Pitfalls:

Many learners forget the role of "being" in continuous passive constructions and write forms like "are mistreated" by habit. While these may be acceptable in some contexts, they do not capture the idea that the mistreatment is happening at this moment. Students also sometimes confuse aspect and tense, accidentally choosing present perfect structures that imply completed actions. Focusing on the phrase "are being mistreated" prevents these errors.

Final Answer:

The correct passive voice sentence is "The prisoners are being mistreated by the authorities."