A sentence is given in the active voice: "Children like to play all day long." Choose the option that best expresses the same idea in the passive voice.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Playing all day long is liked by children.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question assesses understanding of how to change an active voice sentence into passive voice. The original sentence focuses on the subject "children" performing the action "like to play." In passive voice, the focus should move to the object or action that is liked, while keeping the meaning intact. Such transformations are common in competitive exams and help test a learner's grasp of sentence structure and voice changes.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Active sentence: Children like to play all day long.
  • Subject: children.
  • Verb phrase: like to play.
  • Idea: children enjoy playing for the whole day.
  • We must express the same idea in passive voice, keeping the core meaning unchanged.


Concept / Approach:
In English, passive voice is usually formed by making the object or the action the subject of the sentence and using an appropriate form of the verb "to be" plus the past participle of the main verb. Here, the action "playing all day long" can be treated as a gerund phrase functioning as a noun, and it can become the subject in the passive structure. The verb "like" in passive becomes "is liked." Therefore, we focus on "playing all day long" as the thing that is liked by children.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the key components: subject "children," verb "like," and object or action "to play all day long." Step 2: Convert the action "to play all day long" into a gerund phrase "playing all day long" which can act as a noun and subject in the passive sentence. Step 3: Form the passive using "is liked" because "playing all day long" is treated as a singular idea. Step 4: Add the agent phrase "by children" to show who does the liking. The result is: "Playing all day long is liked by children."


Verification / Alternative check:
The sentence "Playing all day long is liked by children" satisfies the requirements of passive voice: it has the gerund phrase as the subject, the correct verb phrase "is liked," and the agent "by children." The overall meaning remains that children enjoy playing throughout the day. The structure is grammatically correct and would be acceptable in formal written English.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A: "All day long children do like to play." remains in active voice and simply adds emphasis with "do"; it is not passive. Option C: "Children play all day long and like it." is active and restates the idea but does not change the voice. Option D: "Liking is done by children of playing all day long." is grammatically awkward and unnatural, and the preposition "of" is wrongly used. Option E: "The children are liking to play all day long." is active voice, and the continuous form of "like" is generally unnatural in this context.


Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget that not every sentence with an action verb changes neatly into a typical object-subject passive. In such cases, the action can become a gerund phrase that acts as the subject. Another pitfall is trying to use "liking is done" constructions, which sound incorrect and forced. It is important to remember that passive voice should read naturally and clearly, not as a mechanical rearrangement of words.


Final Answer:
The correct passive form is Playing all day long is liked by children.

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