16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardVerb tense sequence in a historical narrative

Standard English Conventions practice question

By the time the relief column reached the fort in 1857, the defenders ____ their last supplies for nearly a week.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. had been rationingCorrect
  2. B. are rationing
  3. C. will have rationed
  4. D. ration

Answer: A. had been rationing

Rationing before the past arrival: past perfect progressive.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. are rationing
Present tense for a past event.
C. will have rationed
Future perfect for the past.
D. ration
Present.

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