Module: | Advanced Structures (Infinitives & Clauses)
Q92: Consider the following statements regarding sentence transformations:
1. The active sentence "The unexpected election results surprised the political analysts" converts to the passive voice as "The political analysts were surprised at the unexpected election results."
2. The active sentence "This heavy wooden chest contains ancient royal manuscripts" converts to the passive voice as "Ancient royal manuscripts are contained in this heavy wooden chest."
3. The active sentence "His polite and charming manners pleased the harsh interviewers" converts to the passive voice as "The harsh interviewers were pleased by his polite and charming manners."
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. The active sentence "This heavy wooden chest contains ancient royal manuscripts" converts to the passive voice as "Ancient royal manuscripts are contained in this heavy wooden chest."
3. The active sentence "His polite and charming manners pleased the harsh interviewers" converts to the passive voice as "The harsh interviewers were pleased by his polite and charming manners."
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: C
🎯 Quick Answer:
Statements 1 and 2 correctly apply fixed prepositional pairings. Statement 3 uses the standard "by" preposition incorrectly for its specific verb.Historical/Related Context: Prepositional exceptions are the most direct way examiners test vocabulary depth alongside grammar rules.
The "pleased with" vs "pleased by" distinction was heavily featured in the CDS and NDA exam English sections in late 2023.
Causal Reasoning: Statement 3 is incorrect because the passive verb phrase denoting emotional satisfaction ("were pleased") strictly requires the preposition "with" when referring to a person's conduct or manners.
The correct transformation is "The harsh interviewers were pleased with his polite and charming manners."