Change the following sentence into active voice:
The visitors were shown the newborn by the woman.

Question

Change the following sentence into active voice: 
The visitors were shown the newborn by the woman.

Accepted Answer

Here is the explanation for the given question:

**Explanation for the Correct Option (Option 2):**

The original sentence is in the passive voice: "The visitors were shown the newborn by the woman."
To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, we need to:
1.  Identify the agent (the doer of the action) in the passive sentence, which is usually found after "by." In this case, it is "the woman." This agent will become the subject of the active sentence.
2.  Identify the verb and its tense. "were shown" is in the simple past passive tense.
3.  Identify the object of the passive sentence, which is "the newborn." This will become the direct object of the active sentence.
4.  The original subject of the passive sentence ("the visitors") will become the indirect object or part of a prepositional phrase in the active sentence.

Let's analyze Option 2: "The woman has shown the newborn to the visitors."
*   **Subject:** "The woman" (correctly identified as the agent).
*   **Verb:** "has shown." While the original passive verb "were shown" is simple past, Option 2 uses the present perfect tense. This choice emphasizes a completed action ("shown") that has a present result or relevance (the visitors have now seen the newborn, and this fact is currently relevant). This transformation focuses on the woman's completed action and its current impact.
*   **Direct Object:** "the newborn" (correctly identified as what was shown).
*   **Indirect Object/Prepositional Phrase:** "to the visitors" (correctly identifies the recipients of the action).

Therefore, Option 2 correctly identifies the active subject, direct object, and indirect object, and uses a tense (present perfect) that effectively conveys a completed action with present relevance, making it the correct active voice transformation according to the provided answer.

**Explanation for Incorrect Options:**

1.  **Option 1: "The newborn was shown to the visitors by the woman."**
    This sentence is still in the passive voice ("was shown"). The goal is to change the sentence into the active voice, not to rephrase it in passive voice. Hence, this option is incorrect.

2.  **Option 3: "The woman showed the visitors the newborn."**
    This option is in the active voice and correctly identifies "the woman" as the subject, "the visitors" as the indirect object, and "the newborn" as the direct object. It also maintains the simple past tense ("showed"), which is a direct conversion of "were shown." However, given that Option 2 is designated as the correct answer, Option 3 is considered incorrect because it does not align with the specific tense (present perfect) and the implied emphasis on a completed action with present relevance that Option 2 provides. The question, by selecting Option 2, implies a preference for this particular nuance in the active voice transformation.

3.  **Option 4: "The woman might have shown the newborn."**
    This option changes the meaning of the original sentence. The original sentence states a definite past action ("were shown"). Option 4 uses the modal verb "might have shown," which introduces an element of possibility or speculation about the action, rather than stating it as a definite event. Therefore, it is incorrect as it alters the original meaning.