My father ___________ (try) to fix the broken pipe for an hour before ...
Past Perfect Continuous Tense,
My father had been trying to fix the broken pipe for an hour before we eventually called a plumber.
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My father ___________ (try) to fix the broken pipe for an hour before ...
Past Perfect Continuous Tense,
My father had been trying to fix the broken pipe for an hour before we eventually called a plumber.
My father ___________ (try) to fix the broken pipe for an hour before ...
Answer:
To understand why the correct answer is "had been trying," let's break down the sentence and analyze the verb tenses used.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past, continued for a period of time, and had an effect in the past.
Past Simple Tense:
The past simple tense is used to describe an action that happened and was completed in the past.
Now let's break down the sentence and identify the different verb tenses used:
My father ___________ (try) to fix the broken pipe for an hour before we eventually called a plumber.
1. "My father" - subject of the sentence.
2. "try" - the verb that needs to be conjugated.
The action of trying to fix the broken pipe started in the past, continued for a period of time, and had an effect in the past. Therefore, we need to use the past perfect continuous tense.
Explanation:
- The past perfect continuous tense is formed by using "had been" + the present participle form of the verb (try).
- "Had been trying" indicates that the action of trying to fix the broken pipe started before the past simple action of calling a plumber and continued for a period of time.
- It implies that the father was already in the process of trying to fix the pipe when the decision to call a plumber was made.
Example:
If the sentence had been "My father tried to fix the broken pipe for an hour before we eventually called a plumber," it would imply that the father tried to fix the pipe and then immediately called the plumber without any overlap in the actions.
Therefore, the correct answer is "My father had been trying to fix the broken pipe for an hour before we eventually called a plumber."