Identify the sentence in active voice:

Question

Accepted Answer

Here is the explanation for the given question:

**Explanation:**

To identify a sentence in active voice, we look for a structure where the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb. In contrast, in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

**Justification for Option 1 (Correct):**

*   **Option 1: "I know nothing about western philosophy."**
    *   **Subject:** "I"
    *   **Verb:** "know"
    *   **Action:** The subject "I" is performing the action of "knowing." The sentence clearly states what "I" do.
    *   This sentence follows the active voice structure (Subject + Verb + Object/Complement), where the subject is the doer of the action. Therefore, this is a sentence in active voice.

**Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**

*   **Option 2: "French is not taught in my college."**
    *   **Subject:** "French"
    *   **Verb Phrase:** "is not taught"
    *   In this sentence, "French" is not performing the action of teaching; rather, it is receiving the action (it is being taught). The actual doer of the action (e.g., "by professors" or "by the faculty") is either omitted or implied. The structure (form of 'to be' + past participle 'taught') is characteristic of the passive voice.

*   **Option 3: "Their friends will be caught redhanded."**
    *   **Subject:** "Their friends"
    *   **Verb Phrase:** "will be caught"
    *   Here, "their friends" are not performing the action of catching; instead, they are the ones who will be caught. They are receiving the action. The doer of the action (who will catch them) is not explicitly stated. The structure (form of 'to be' + past participle 'caught') indicates the passive voice.

*   **Option 4: "He was knocked down by a car."**
    *   **Subject:** "He"
    *   **Verb Phrase:** "was knocked down"
    *   In this sentence, "He" is not performing the action of knocking down; rather, "He" is the one who was knocked down. He is receiving the action. The agent performing the action ("a car") is explicitly mentioned after "by," which is a clear indicator of the passive voice. The structure (form of 'to be' + past participle 'knocked down') confirms it is in passive voice.

Therefore, based on the definition of active voice, Option 1 is the only sentence where the subject performs the action.