Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: The assistant was made to work late by the boss.
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Voice change questions test your understanding of how to convert active sentences into passive sentences while preserving the original meaning. The sentence here uses the causative verb made, which has a specific pattern when transformed into the passive voice. Knowing how to handle causative constructions is important for clear and formal English, especially in reports and academic writing.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In causative constructions with make, the usual pattern in active voice is Subject plus make plus object plus bare verb. When converted to passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the verb make takes a passive form was made, followed by to plus infinitive. Therefore, work changes into to work in the passive version. We also keep the agent phrase by the boss to show who caused the action.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the object of the active sentence, which is the assistant.
Step 2: Bring this object to the subject position in the passive sentence.
Step 3: Change made into the appropriate passive form was made to match past tense and singular subject.
Step 4: Convert the bare verb work into the infinitive to work in the passive structure.
Step 5: Add the agent phrase by the boss to complete the passive sentence: The assistant was made to work late by the boss.
Verification / Alternative check:
Check whether the passive sentence still means that the boss caused the assistant to work late. In The assistant was made to work late by the boss, the focus has shifted to the assistant, but the causative relationship remains the same and the time reference is unchanged. The number and tense are consistent, and the sentence is grammatically correct. This confirms that option A is the correct transformation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The assistant is being urged to work late changes the verb from made to urged and shifts the tense from simple past to present continuous, as well as changing the type of causative action.
The assistant was make to work late by the boss uses the wrong verb form make instead of made after was, which is grammatically incorrect.
The assistant is working late due to the boss changes the structure completely and does not reflect a passive causative pattern.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners often forget to add to before the infinitive in passive causative constructions or mistakenly keep the bare infinitive. Another frequent error is to ignore tense and aspect when moving from active to passive. Always observe whether the original sentence uses past, present, or future, and ensure the auxiliary verb in the passive matches that tense.
Final Answer:
The correct passive form is: The assistant was made to work late by the boss.
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