Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1By the time the mediator finally arrived, the delegates ............... in the antechamber since early afternoon.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been waiting" shows an action continuing up to a later past moment.
2The ceiling collapsed because rainwater ............... through the neglected skylight since Friday night.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been leaking" shows the continuing cause before the past collapse.
3When the funding was finally approved, the research team ............... to secure it since the previous decade.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been trying" shows an effort continuing up to the later approval.
4The quartet sounded exhausted because they ............... the same passage since dawn.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been rehearsing" shows the activity continuing before the quartet sounded exhausted.
5When the lifeboat located them at dusk, the sailors ............... without power since the previous morning.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been drifting" shows the sailors' situation continuing up to the rescue.
6The athlete failed the test because he ............... a banned stimulant since the start of the season.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been taking" shows repeated use continuing before the athlete failed the test.
7By the time the police reached the warehouse, the lorry ............... with the entire consignment.
Wrong!
The phrase "had left" shows that the lorry departed before the police arrived.
8She could not enter the archive because she ............... the access card earlier that morning.
Wrong!
The phrase "had misplaced" shows that losing the card happened before she could not enter.
9The editor rejected the chapter because the author ............... the same paragraph from an earlier article.
Wrong!
The phrase "had copied" shows that the copying happened before the editor rejected the chapter.
10Before the newly found letters changed the chronology, the poem ............... a late work by most scholars.
Wrong!
The phrase "had been considered" shows the earlier passive view before the letters changed the chronology.
11The chair ............... the result when the fire alarm drowned out the microphone.
Wrong!
The phrase "was about to announce" shows an action that was going to happen just before the alarm interrupted it.
12The witness ............... the following morning, but the case was settled overnight.
Wrong!
The phrase "was going to testify in court" shows a planned future action from a past viewpoint.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- By the time the mediator finally arrived, the delegates had been waiting in the antechamber since early afternoon.
- The ceiling collapsed because rainwater had been leaking through the neglected skylight since Friday night.
- When the funding was finally approved, the research team had been trying to secure it since the previous decade.
- The quartet sounded exhausted because they had been rehearsing the same passage since dawn.
- When the lifeboat located them at dusk, the sailors had been drifting without power since the previous morning.
- The athlete failed the test because he had been taking a banned stimulant since the start of the season.
- By the time the police reached the warehouse, the lorry had left with the entire consignment.
- She could not enter the archive because she had misplaced the access card earlier that morning.
- The editor rejected the chapter because the author had copied the same paragraph from an earlier article.
- Before the newly found letters changed the chronology, the poem had been considered a late work by most scholars.
- The chair was about to announce the result when the fire alarm drowned out the microphone.
- The witness was going to testify in court the following morning, but the case was settled overnight.