Choose the correct tense for the sentence:They (wait) for the bus when...
The sentence describes an action that was in progress in the past when another action happened, so the past continuous tense "were waiting" should be used.
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Choose the correct tense for the sentence:They (wait) for the bus when...
Explanation:
The correct tense for the sentence "They (wait) for the bus when it started raining" is option 'D' - "were waiting."
Explanation:
The sentence describes an action that was ongoing in the past when another action interrupted it. In this case, the action of waiting for the bus was ongoing when it started raining.
Usage of the Past Continuous tense:
The past continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past. It is formed by using the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) followed by the present participle of the main verb (-ing form).
Example:
- I was eating dinner when the phone rang.
- She was studying for her exam when her friend called.
- They were playing football when it started to rain.
Application to the given sentence:
In the given sentence, "They (wait) for the bus when it started raining," the action of waiting for the bus was ongoing in the past. Therefore, we use the past continuous tense "were waiting" to describe that ongoing action.
Alternative tenses:
Option 'A' - "wait" is the present tense. It does not indicate that the action was ongoing in the past.
Option 'B' - "waited" is the simple past tense. It indicates that the action of waiting occurred in the past, but it does not convey that it was ongoing when it started raining.
Option 'C' - "are waiting" is the present continuous tense. It indicates that the action is currently ongoing, not in the past.
Therefore, the correct tense for the sentence is option 'D' - "were waiting."