Question

Rewrite this sentence without using 'somebody' or 'they', write a passive sentence:

I didn't realize that somebody was recording our conversation. [Advanced]

• A. I didn't realise that our conversation was recorded.
• B. I didn't realise that our conversation is recorded.
• C. I didn't realise that our conversation was being recorded.
• D. I didn't realise that our conversation is being recorded.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

The ground rules to change active voice in passive voice are:

• The places of subject and object are interchanged.
• 3rd form of the verb (past participle) is always used as the main verb in the passive voice. This applies to all tenses.
• The word 'by' is generally used before the subject.

The given sentence is an example of the past continuous tense. Passive sentences in the past continuous tense have the following structure:

Object of the active sentence + was/were/ + being + past participle form of the verb + by + subject of the active sentence.

Thus, the passive voice for the given sentence - I didn't realize that our conversation was being recorded.

Hence, option D is the correct answer according to the rules.