Question

Choose the correct passive form of present tense from the options given below:
Beautiful flowers __________ by the gardener in the front-lawn of our school.

• A. are growing
• B. are grown
• C. is grown
• D. are grow

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

are grown

A sentence in passive voice focuses on the person or thing that receives an action rather than the person/thing that performs the action.
For example, 'My room was cleaned by me.'
The basic structure of passive voice is:
the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' + past participle
Option B: The given sentence states a fact, hence it's in simple present tense. So, the simple present form of 'to be', 'are' is used. (The simple present tense states a general fact or a usual habit.)
'Are grown' is the appropriate structure, formed by the simple present tense verb 'is' + past participle (grown). Hence option B is correct.
Option A: 'Are growing' is not the correct verb form used in the passive voice. 'Growing' is a present participle whereas the required verb form is a past participle. The present participle changes the subject 'flowers' to performing, rather than receiving, the action. Hence A is incorrect.
Option C: The verb 'is' in 'is grown' is singular, whereas the subject "Beautiful flowers" is plural. The subject and verb must agree with one another in number (singular or plural). Hence C is incorrect.
Option D: 'Are grow' is grammatically incorrect. 'Grow' is the base verb which must be modified in this sentence to express the present tense. Hence D is incorrect.
(Base verbs like 'grow' are used in the first person point of view (I, we) and the future tense.)