COMPLEX SENTENCES
Sentences having ‘one Main Clause’ ( M.C ) and ‘one or more Sub-ordinate Clauses’ ( S.C.) are known as Complex Sentences.
eg. (M.C) I had reached the station, before the train arrived.( S.C)
When we come into the topic ‘voices in complex sentences’, we should understand that the voices of complex sentences can easily be changed, if they have objects both in Main clause and in sub-ordinate clause , as shown below
eg: Though he had studied ‘everything’ well, he forgot ‘it’ at the exam hall. ( Active Voice )
From the given complex sentence, we can understand that both the subordinate clause ( Though he………………well) and the Main clause ( he forgot it at the exam hall ) have their own objects as ‘everything’ and ‘it’ respectively.
So, we can change the complex sentence into passive voice on the basis of its tenses, as
Though everything had been studied well by him, it was forgotten at the exam hall by him.
But, sometimes the main clause lacks the object, as shown in the sentence below,
The Captain of the team said that his team would bring back the world cup.
Here, in the complex sentence we can see that the Main clause ‘The captain of the team said’ lacks the object.
In such cases, the sub ordinate clause of the sentence, ( here, that his team would bring back the world cup ) should be assumed as the object and named it as ‘it’., and then keep the sentence in mind, as
The captain of the team said it.
Here ‘it’ is used as object instead of the sub ordinate clause.
Now we get a simple sentence with object ‘it’.
Then, its voice can be changed on the basis of its tense.
Here we can change its voice into passive voice as,
It was said by the captain of the team.
We know that this answer is incomplete.
So, to complete it, add the sub ordinate clause to the end of the sentence, as
It was said by the captain of the team that his team would bring back the world cup.
Another example,,
My wife said that she would call me back. ( A.V )
It was said by my wife that she would call me back. ( P.V )
Now, let’s go to the topic Puzzles in voices