Change the voice of the sentence: The payment was collected by the hardworking salesman.

Introduction / Context:
This question asks you to convert a passive voice sentence into active voice while keeping the meaning, tense, and emphasis intact. The original sentence credits a hardworking salesman with collecting a payment. You must choose the active voice sentence that states clearly who did the action and what action was done, without adding or changing any information about ability or difficulty.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence (passive): The payment was collected by the hardworking salesman.
• We must convert it to active voice.
• Options provide various possible active style sentences, some of which modify the meaning.
• The past simple passive form was collected should become a past simple active form.

Concept / Approach:
To convert from passive to active voice, identify the agent (doer of the action) in the by phrase, make it the subject, keep the same tense in the verb, and place the original subject as the object. Here, the hardworking salesman is the agent, and the payment is the object of the verb collect. The tense is simple past. Therefore, the active voice sentence should be The hardworking salesman collected the payment. Any option that introduces extra meanings such as ability, difficulty, or time sequence goes beyond a straightforward voice change and should be rejected.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the subject in the passive sentence: The payment. Step 2: Identify the agent doing the action: the hardworking salesman. Step 3: Identify the verb and tense: was collected is simple past passive. Step 4: Form the active sentence: Subject (the hardworking salesman) + simple past verb (collected) + object (the payment). Step 5: Write the active sentence: The hardworking salesman collected the payment. Step 6: Compare this with option A and see that it matches exactly.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check whether the meaning has changed. The original says that the payment was collected and attributes the action to the hardworking salesman. Option A, The hardworking salesman collected the payment, gives exactly the same information. There is no mention of ability, difficulty, or conditions; it simply states who did what. The tense remains simple past, so the time reference is preserved. This confirms that option A is a faithful active voice version of the passive sentence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, The salesman who worked hard was able to collect the payment, adds the idea of ability (was able to) and changes the structure, making it more complex than necessary. Option C, To collect the payment the salesman had to work hard, shifts the focus to the necessity of working hard and suggests difficulty, which is not stated in the original sentence. Option D, The hardworking salesman was able to collect the payment, again introduces the notion of ability rather than simply stating the completed action.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes select an option that seems richer or more detailed, thinking that more words equal a better answer. In voice change questions, however, the goal is to preserve meaning, not to add commentary. Another pitfall is to overlook subtle shifts in meaning introduced by phrases like was able to or had to, which change the focus from the action itself to ability or effort. Always look for the option that mirrors the original tense and information as closely as possible.

Final Answer:
The correct active voice transformation is The hardworking salesman collected the payment.