What changes in the subject when a sentence is transformed from active voice to passive voice?

• A. The target of the action becomes the new subject
• B. The subject of the sentence remains the same
• C. The action is emphasized over the subject
• D. The recipient of the action becomes the new object

Answer: (A)

When transforming a sentence from active voice to passive voice, the key change is that the target of the action, which is the object in the active sentence, becomes the new subject in the passive sentence. In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the focus shifts to the action being performed on the subject that was originally the object. This construction allows the writer to emphasize the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

For example, in the active voice sentence "The chef cooked the meal," "the chef" is the subject doing the action. In passive voice, it becomes "The meal was cooked by the chef," where "the meal" is now the new subject. This fundamental shift in focus from the doer to the receiver of the action encapsulates the essence of what changes regarding the subject when moving from active to passive constructions.