Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: The streets are swept by the cleaners every day.
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question checks the transformation of a habitual simple present sentence in active voice into a simple present sentence in passive voice. The original sentence "The cleaners sweep the streets everyday" describes a regular duty. In the passive version, the focus shifts from "the cleaners" to "the streets" while keeping the idea of daily routine intact.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
For simple present passive, we follow the pattern: subject (former object) + is/am/are + past participle. Here, "the streets" is plural, so we use "are swept." The agent "by the cleaners" is added at the end to show who does the sweeping. The phrase "every day" must be retained to show frequency and is usually placed at the end of the sentence, although it can also appear at the beginning for emphasis.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify "the streets" as the object that becomes the subject in the passive voice. Step 2: Convert the verb "sweep" (simple present) to its passive form: "are swept" for the plural subject. Step 3: Add the agent phrase "by the cleaners" to keep the information about who performs the action. Step 4: Place "every day" at the end of the sentence. The final passive sentence is: "The streets are swept by the cleaners every day."
Verification / Alternative check:
The sentence "The streets are swept by the cleaners every day" correctly uses simple present passive and preserves the sense that this is a daily routine. It reads naturally and matches the meaning of the original active sentence. The word order is standard and clear.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: "Sweeping of the streets every day has been done by the cleaners." uses a clumsy nominalisation and present perfect tense rather than simple present, making it stylistically and grammatically unsuited for this transformation. Option C: "Every day the cleaners have been sweeping the streets." is present perfect continuous in active voice, not passive, and shifts the aspect of the action. Option D: "The streets have had been swept by the cleaners every day." is ungrammatical; the auxiliary sequence "have had been" is incorrect. Option E: "The streets were swept by the cleaners every day." uses simple past instead of simple present, changing the time reference to the past.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes change the tense when moving from active to passive, especially to past or perfect forms, which alters the meaning. Another issue is overcomplicating the sentence with "is done" or "has been done" structures, which are not needed when a straightforward passive form exists. Always maintain the original tense and use the simplest correct passive construction.
Final Answer:
The correct passive voice sentence is The streets are swept by the cleaners every day.
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