Select the correct active form of the given sentence. The massive exterior wall of the old mansion was being painted by the skill…

Question

Select the correct active form of the given sentence. The massive exterior wall of the old mansion was being painted by the skilled laborers when it suddenly started raining heavily.

1. A. The skilled laborers were painting the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily. (Correct answer)
2. B. The skilled laborers painted the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily.
3. C. The skilled laborers are painting the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily.
4. D. The skilled laborers had been painting the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily.

Correct Answer

Option A — The skilled laborers were painting the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is The skilled laborers were painting the massive exterior wall of the old mansion when it suddenly started raining heavily.

Key Points

• The passive is was being painted, which is the past continuous passive, so its active must also be past continuous: were painting.
• The agent *the skilled laborers* becomes the subject, and the subject *the massive exterior wall* becomes the object.
• The time clause "when it suddenly started raining heavily" is unchanged — it belongs to neither voice.
• Options B, C and D shift the tense to simple past, present continuous and past perfect continuous respectively, all of which alter the meaning.

Additional Information

• Past continuous passive is was/were being + past participle; converting it back gives was/were + -ing.
• The past continuous paired with a *when* clause is the standard way to show an action interrupted by another — which is why preserving the aspect matters here.
• Only the perfect continuous tenses lack a natural passive, which is why they never appear as the source in these questions.
• Changing voice must leave tense, aspect and modality untouched; only the grammatical roles move.