Which two words complete the sentence 'Deer are () hunters' to describe how they are hunted?

Which two words complete the sentence 'Deer are () hunters' to describe how they are hunted?

• A. Shot by
• B. Hunted by
• C. Hunted
• D. Shot

Answer: (A)

The sentence uses passive voice to describe the way something happens to the deer. In English, to show the action done to the subject, you form be + past participle and, when needed, add the agent with by. Here, two words that fit the idea of how the deer are treated are “shot by.” That gives: Deer are shot by hunters. It clearly communicates the method of the action (shooting) and names who performs it. Using “hunted by” would shift the emphasis to who does the hunting rather than the method, which isn’t what the prompt asks. Filling with the single word “shot” would break grammar (Deer are shot hunters), and “hunted” alone wouldn’t connect to the agent in a grammatical way.

The sentence uses passive voice to describe the way something happens to the deer. In English, to show the action done to the subject, you form be + past participle and, when needed, add the agent with by. Here, two words that fit the idea of how the deer are treated are “shot by.” That gives: Deer are shot by hunters. It clearly communicates the method of the action (shooting) and names who performs it.

Using “hunted by” would shift the emphasis to who does the hunting rather than the method, which isn’t what the prompt asks. Filling with the single word “shot” would break grammar (Deer are shot hunters), and “hunted” alone wouldn’t connect to the agent in a grammatical way.